April 7, 2010

Box Score

Arlington. Va. - The George Mason baseball team continued its mastery over George Washington on Wednesday afternoon as the Patriots used a five-run third to build a comfortable lead and added a six-run sixth inning to beat the Colonials for the seventh straight time as Mason topped GW, 20-6 at Barcroft Park in Arlington. It's also the ninth win for the Patriots in the past 10 meetings between the schools with the lone loss coming on March 14, 2007, a 5-4 road defeat.

Mason, which entered the week 15th in the nation in hit by pitch despite having played only 24 games, broke a three-week-old school record as the Patriots were hit seven times in the game, including thrice in the sixth. Mason also took advantage of six wild pitches and nine walks. Ryan Pfaeffle (3-3) went six strong innings allowing no walks and six hits while striking out seven and surrendering two earned runs to pick up the win. Mason pitching, by contrast, allowed one walk and did not hit a batter or throw a wild pitch.

Ryan Soares was 2 for 4 with four RBI while Shane Davis, Jeremy Haas, Anthony Montefusco, Dan Schafferman, Josh Steinberg, Dan Schafferman and Brig Tison all had multiple RBI. Dan Palumbo was 2 for 2 with three runs scored and Chris Cook was 0 for 1 but walked twice and was hit three times, tying the school record.

The Patriots (17-9) put five straight runners on with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the second. First Palumbo singled through the right side, then Montefusco homered to right, the first home run of his collegiate career giving Mason a 2-0 lead. Steinberg singled, Chris Cook was hit by a pitch and Haas walked to load the bases for Tison. The sophomore took three straight balls before eventually flying out to a diving Brandon Gillette in right, keeping it a two-run game.

Mason added runs in the third when Soares led the inning off with a walk and after a Mark Hill single, Davis homered to right to make it 5-0. It was Davis' sixth homer of the year, tying him with Soares for the team lead. Reliever Kenny O'Brien entered the game and after a walk to Palumbo, he hit Montefusco and walked Cook to load the bases with one out. Haas singled through the left side to make it 7-0.

The Colonials (16-12) were finally able to touch Pfaeffle in the fourth when Tom Zebroski led off the inning with a homer to center to make it 7-1. Chris Luick reached on one-out single later in the inning, took second on a ground out and scored on a Brendon Kelliher single to right. Mason got the runs back in the fifth when, with two outs, Haas was hit by a pitch, Tison reached on an error and Soares, who entered the week second in the nation in RBI per game, singled to bring them home and make it 9-2.

In the sixth, Palumbo and Montefusco were hit by pitches and Steinberg followed with a two-run double to right-center. Chris Cook was hit by a pitch to put runners on second and after a Haas fly out to right advanced Steinberg to third, Tison drove home the senior catcher when his grounder to third was misplayed. Soares followed with a two-run triple down the leftfield line to make it 14-2. Hill's sacrifice fly made it a 13-run lead for Mason heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Mason added three runs in the seventh as pinch-hitter Aaron Tenney walked, Steinberg singled and Cook was hit by a pitch to load the bases and pinch-hitter Dan Schafferman doubled down the leftfield line to make it 17-2. Tison added a sacrifice fly to make it a 16-run lead. It became 19-2 in the eighth when Davis and Danny Lyons singled and Steinberg and Cook followed with walks. The Colonials got a two-out Zebroski single and a Justin Albright double in the eight to put runners on second and third and Curtis Eward doubled to make it 19-4. Eward scored on an Ollie Mittag single to right-center. Stephen Oswald's single up the middle made it 19-6. In the ninth, Tison led off with a homer to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.

The Patriots return to action on Friday when they open a three-game home series with Old Dominion at Spuhler Field. Game times are 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.