March 30, 2010

Box Score

Lynchburg, Va. - The George Mason baseball team traveled to Liberty on Tuesday and the Patriots were unable to steal a road win as the Flames scored twice in the fifth to break a 5-5 tie and added crucial runs in the seventh to offset a late Mason rally as the Flames beat Mason, 9-7.

Ryan Soares was 2 for 3 with two RBI, Dan Palumbo was 3 for 5 and Jeremy Haas, Brig Tison, Shane Davis and Brett Hendricks all had multiple hits. Michael Robertson was 3 for 5 while Trey Wimmer was 3 for 3 with five RBI for Liberty.

Liberty got the scoring started in the second when, with one out, Robertson and P.J. Jimenez had back-to-back singles and Wimmer followed with a two-run double. Wimmer went to third on a groundout and scored on an Austin Taylor single up the middle for a 3-0 lead.

Mason responded in the third when Brett Hendricks singled to lead off, Haas walked with one out, Tison singled to load the bases and Soares made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly. The Flames responded in the bottom of the second as Matt Williams, Robertson and Jimenez singled to make it 4-1. Wimmer walked and Josh Richardson followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a four-run lead.

The Patriots put together a big rally in the fourth. First Davis was hit by a pitch, then Palumbo singled to put runners on the corners. Davis was thrown out on Nick Allen's fielder's choice but Mason soon had the bases loaded as Hendricks was hit by a pitch. Haas singled to score Palumbo and a fielding error in right let two more runs come home with Haas going to third. He eventually scored to tie the game at 5-5 on a Tison single up the middle.

The response from Liberty was quick. Jimenez walked to lead off the fifth and scored on a Wimmer double to give the Flames a 6-5 lead. After a sacrifice bunt, Wimmer scored on a ground out by Curran Redal for a two-run advantage. The lead grew in the seenth when Robertson doubled, Jimenez walked, the advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Wimmer double to make it 9-5.

In the eighth, Dan Schafferman singled, Haas doubled and Mason cut it to 9-6 on a Soares sacrifice fly. Mason mounted a rally in the ninth as Palumbo singled, Hendricks was hit by a pitch and Steinberg walked to load the bases. Haas drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch. Tison grounded out to end the game.