April 19, 2008

Box Score

The George Mason baseball team could not maintain the momentum for its series-opening win over James Madison on Friday as the Patriots saw the Dukes take the second game in the three-game series, beating Mason 5-3 at Spuhler Field on Saturday.

Brent Weiss was 2 for 4 with two RBI, Chris Henderson was 3 for 5 with two runs and Shane Davis was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Justin Bour had a hit and he has reached base safely in all 39 games this season. Joe Lake led James Madison with three hits while McKinnon Langston was 2 for 3 with two RBI.

Mason struck for a run in the bottom of the first. Ryan Soares singled on the first pitch from Kurt Houck and he was replaced on the base paths by Henderson, he reached on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Scott Krieger reached on an error and Davis followed with a single through the left side to make it 1-0. The Dukes got the run back in the top of the second when Trevor Knight led off the inning with a walk, went to second on a one-out single by Langston and scored on a Brett Garner sacrifice fly.

In the fourth, Mason starter Mike Modica pitched himself into trouble. After allowing a pair of walks to start the inning, he benefited from a double-steal gone awry as the lead runner was gunned down at third. After a strikeout, Modica had David Heberk down 1-2 with two outs, but he walked him and Lake followed with a single up the middle to make it 2-1. Herbek went to third on the play and scored on a double steal for a two-run lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Mason tied the score with a clutch two-out hit. Henderson led off with a single up the middle and with one out, Krieger was hit by a pitch. Davis' single through the left side of the infield loaded the bases and with two outs, Weiss singled through the left side to bring home Henderson and Krieger.

The Dukes broke through in the seventh for the game-deciding runs. Brett Sellers led off with an infield single, Steven Caseres followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners, and with two outs, Langston double to right center to bring home the two runners.

Mason mounted a rally in the ninth with back-to-back singles by Henderson and Bour to lead off the inning. That's when Knight came on in relief and he struck out Krieger and Davis before walking Mark Hill to load the bases. Weiss couldn't come through again, though, this time flying out to left as Matt Browning made a running grab for the final out.

Mason and James Madison will conclude their three-game series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.