March 27, 2010

Box Score

Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team rebounded from an extra-inning loss on Friday to take a come-from-behind win over James Madison on Saturday as the Patriots beat the Dukes, 11-6 at Spuhler Field. It was the second game of a three-game series. The teams will play a rubber match on Sunday at Noon, one hour earlier than originally scheduled.

On Friday, Mason scored 10 in the eighth to tie the game at 12-12 before JMU scored nine in the top of the 10th. The Patriots managed four in the bottom of that inning before falling 21-16. There was no such drama on Saturday after Mason scored five in the third and three in the sixth while getting an excellent performance from Anthony Montefusco out of the bullpen. The freshman earned his first career save going three and two-third innings and allowing just one hit and no runs.

Brig Tison was 3 for 4 with two RBI, Shane Davis was 2 for 4 with three RBI and Dan Palumbo and Jeremy Haas each had two hits. The Dukes were held to seven hits with Ryan Brecko (2-0) picking up the win.

For the second-straight game, James Madison took an early lead on the Patriots. Trevor Knight doubled, David Herbeck was hit by a pitch and Matt Townsend walked to load the bases with two outs. Jake Lowery came through for the Dukes with a single to center to make it 2-0. Mason countered with a run in the bottom of the first as Jeremy Haas led off with a double, Brig Tison walked, the pair executed a double steal and Haas scored on a wild pitch.

In the second, James Madison scored two more runs to make it a 4-1 lead. McKinnon Langston singled, Mike Fabiaschi walked and the pair advanced on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Bladel made it 3-1 and Matt Browning singled to make it a three-run game. In the bottom of the second, the Patriots took their first lead of the series as Mason batted around.

With one out, Nick Allen reached on an error and Brett Hendricks doubled to put two men in scoring position. Dan Palumbo doubled to make it 4-2 and Haas singled to make it a one-run game. Tison singled to tie the score and after Ryan Soares singled to load the bases, Haas scored on another wild pitch to put Mason ahead. Mark Hill's sacrifice fly made it 6-4. In the fourth, Palumbo was hit by a pitch, took second on a ground out, went to third on a Tison singled and scored on a Soares sacrifice fly to put the Patriots ahead 7-4.

In the fifth, JMU got on the board as Browning walked, Herbeck reached on an error by Hill and Lowery walked to load the bases with one out. After Brett Garner struck out, Langston hit a two-strike pitch up the middle that was misplayed by Tison allowing two runs to score. Shane Davis got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer off the scoreboard in right.

In the sixth, the Dukes loaded the bases with one out against T.J. O'Grady but Montefusco came on in relief and got a double play ball to end the threat. Mason made the Dukes pay in the bottom of the inning as Palumbo doubled and Tison hit a one-out single to make it 9-6. Soares reached on a fielder's choice and after Hill walked, they each stole bases to move into scoring position before scoring on a Davis bloop double to make it 11-6.