April 25, 2010

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Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team completed its second-straight weekend sweep in Colonial Athletic Association play as Mason jumped all over Delaware early and never let the Blue Hens get into the game as the Patriots took an 11-4 win over Delaware to remain all alone in third place in the CAA. The Patriots (26-12, 10-5 CAA) have won 9 of 10 with the lone loss coming at No. 2 Virginia. Delaware fell to 20-18, 3-9 in the CAA.

Mason got off to a fast start scoring eight runs in the first two innings, knocking out Delaware starter Eric Buckland (3-4) in the second. Buckland gave up eight runs on six hits and three walks in one and two-third innings of work. Meanwhile, Mason starter Chris O'Grady (3-0) looked sharp yet again, allowing just seven hits in seven and one-third innings. The reigning CAA Rookie of the Week retired 13 straight batters at one point and he finished with four earned runs allowed in the game. Several Patriots had multiple RBI days with Dan Schafferman and Mark Hill driving in three apiece and Shane Davis driving in two.

In the first, Jeremy Haas started off Mason's offensive attack with a single, Brig Tison singled through the right side and Haas advanced to third after a fielding error by right fielder Hank Yates. Ryan Soares hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring Haas for a 1-0 lead. After Hill was hit by a pitch, Davis followed and pounded a double to left center driving in Tison. Dan Palumbo walked to load the bases and Schafferman's ground out scored Hill for a three-run lead.

The Blue Hens got two runs back in the second as Josh Dean led off with a single and Pat Dameron followed with an RBI double. Dameron took third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Steve Ulaky single. Mason continued its stellar hitting in the second. Nick Allen and Haas led off with a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively. Tison moved the runners over with a quality sacrifice bunt down the third baseline. Soares was intentionally walked to load the bases and Hill singled to right center with Haas and Allen both scoring on the play, giving Mason a 5-2 lead. Davis followed with another double to left center allowing Soares to score and with runners on second and third, Schafferman singled to left center allowing Davis and Hill to come home for an 8-2 Mason lead.

In the fourth, Mason added a run when Soares doubled and came home on a Mark Hill single. The Blue Hens added two more runs in the seventh when Dameron tripled off the wall in right field and then came in to score on Hank Yates' ground out to the shortstop. Steve Ulaky smacked a long homerun over the right field fence to cut the Mason lead to 9-4. That would be as close as Delaware would get in the game.

The Patriots added a couple of insurance runs in the eighth seeing the lead swell to 11-4. Brett Hendricks singled to lead off the inning and after a throwing error by Ryan Cuneo at third on a Nick Allen bunt base hit, Hendricks came around to score from first. Allen went to third on the play and came in to score Mason's final run of the day on a sac fly by Tison.

The Patriots, who have won seven-straight in CAA play, will be on the road for their next contest, Tuesday, a non-conference clash at Maryland. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and live audio will be available for free through GoMason.com