March 18, 2009

Box Score

Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team survived a late-inning Marist rally and scored in the bottom of the 11th to win its 10th straight game, beating the Red Foxes 6-5 at Spuhler Field on Wednesday. Mason led 5-2 in the eighth only to see Marist scored three times in the inning but the Patriots rallied to stay unbeaten at home, winning for the 14th straight time at Spuhler Field stretching back to last season. On Friday night at Old Dominion, Mason will look to tie the school record of 11 consecutive wins, set in 2003.

Spencer Wiggins scored the game-winning run in the 11th as he singled, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a Dan Palumbo sacrifice bunt and scored on a Ryan Uphouse sacrifice fly.

Palumbo was 3 for 4 with three runs scored while Uphouse was 1 for 3 with three RBI. Ryan Pfaeffle made his first collegiate start allowing two runs on four hits in four innings. Benji Kagan, Ben Reade, Shawn Griffith, Ryan Brecko, and Darren McLean all pitched an inning or more without allowing a run. Jason Koziol also pitched in relief, allowing three runs but they were all unearned.

The Red Foxes got on the board first on Wednesday as Ricky Pacione led off the second with a single and scored on a Bryce Nugent double to right. Nugent later scored on a Kenny Anderson two-out single up the middle. The Patriots got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as Palumbo singled with one out and scored on a two-out double by Uphouse to make it 2-1.

Marist threatened to retake the lead in the fourth when Nugent walked, Brian McDonough singled and Andrew Stanton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. But Pfaeffle got Anderson to swing at strike three and then Michael Gallic flew out to left to end the threat. In the fourth, Mason took the lead as Palumbo led of with a double down the leftfield line, went to third on a Brent Weiss fly out to right then scored on an Uphouse sacrifice fly.

In the sixth, Dan Schafferman doubled down the leftfield line with one out and scored on a Palumbo single to left. Palumbo went to second on the throw home and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. He then scored on Brent Weiss' single to center to make it 5-2.

Marist rallied in the eighth as with two outs, McDonough reached on an infield hit, Stanton dribbled a ball through the right side of the infield and Anderson and Gallic drew back-to-back walks to make it 5-3. Jon Schwind followed with a single to right to tie the score at 5-5.

Marist had a great opportunity to retake the lead in the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs but the home plate umpire ruled that pinch hitter Kyle Meyer made no attempt to get out of the way of a ball that hit him and rather than driving in a run, he eventually flew out to shallow left-center.

Mason will return to action this weekend at Old Dominion as the Patriots open Colonial Athletic Association action. The Patriots and Monarchs will meet Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.