March 23, 2010

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Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team took the field on Tuesday with a six-game winning streak dating back to a March 2nd lost at Richmond. Unfortunately for Mason, their opponent at Spuhler Field on Tuesday was Richmond, and the Spiders, who had won the first meeting 6-4, won the rematch by the same score. The Spiders overcame an early 2-0 deficit scoring six unanswered runs in the middle innings to drop Mason to 10-5. Richmond is now 11-8 on the year.

Jeremy Haas, Dan Palumbo, Josh Steinberg and Ryan Soares were each 2 for 4 for the Patriots but the bullpen, which was so strong during the winning streak, allowed four of the six runs on Tuesday. Ryan Pfaeffle took the loss, falling to 1-3. Billy Barber was 2 for 4 with two runs and three RBI for Richmond. Jared Bard (1-1) picked up the win in relief while Barber picked up the save, his third of the year.

In the first, Mason got a two-out solo homer from Soares. In the third, the Patriots made it 2-0 when Jeremy Haas led off with a double, and scored on a two-out single by Mark Hill. Richmond got the runs back in the fourth when Mike Mergenthaler led off with a double and Billy Barber followed with a homer to left-center to make it 2-2. In the fifth, Richmond took its first lead when Phil Ruzbarsky led off the inning with a homer to left-center off Pfaeffle. The Patriots had a chance to cut into the one-run lead in the fifth when Soares led off with a single but he got no further than second, which he reached on a wild pitch.

In the sixth, Robby Masser, who entered the game hitting .059, homered off Darren McLean, who entered the game not having allowed a run in six appearances. That made it a 4-2 contest in Richmond's favor. In the bottom of the inning, Mason got a one-out double from Dan Palumbo, but again they could not advance the runner. Richmond had no such problem in the seventh as Derek Boliek led off the inning with a walk and scored on a one-out double by Barber to make it 5-2. Barber took third on a ground out and scored on an error by Hill to make it a four-run game.

Mason finally got back on the board in the seventh when Dan Schafferman and Hill walked, Brig Tison loaded the bases on an infield single and Steinberg made it 6-3 with a single through the left side. But Brett Hendricks grounded into a double play to end the rally. Mason mounted another rally in the eighth when Palumbo led off with a single and Haas followed with a one-out hit up the middle to put runners on first and second. Dan Schafferman got his first hit of the day to load the bases for Soares. The senior shortstop was hit by a pitch to drive in a run but Hill, who entered the game hitting .558 and is the reigning CAA and ECAC Player of the Week struck out, and Brig Tison grounded into a fielder's choice to keep it a 6-4 contest.

The Patriots return to action on Wednesday when they host George Washington at 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field. It will be Mason's fifth straight game against a team from the A-10 as the Patriots played Duquesne this past weekend.