May 15, 2010

Box Score

Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason baseball team rallied four times to take a lead on VCU but the Patriots couldn't overcome a five-run ninth by the Rams as Mason fell to VCU, 12-9 in Colonial Athletic Association action at Spuhler Field. Two errors in the ninth allowed the Rams to overcome a two-run deficit and take a series win over the Patriots. Mason will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday when the teams meet at 1 p.m. at Spuhler Field as part of Alumni Day. Mason's nine seniors will be honored pregame and live audio of the game will be available for free via GoMason.com.

Mason entered the top of the ninth leading 9-7 but after Joe Van Meter was hit by a pitch and went to second on a ground out, he scored on a John Lenherr single to make it 9-8. Nick Kime was hit by a pitch and Paul Nice reached on a throwing error to load the bases and Taylor Perkins singled to left field to bring home the tying run. Nick Allen, who entered the game midway through to replace an injured Dan Schafferman, overran the ball and three more runs scored to make it 12-9. Mason put two runners on in the bottom of the inning but a game-ending double play sent Mason (27-18, 10-10) to its sixth-straight defeat.

Mason had rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 4-2 lead, then broke a 4-4 tie to go ahead 5-4. The Patriots also broke a 5-5 tie to go ahead 6-5, and overcame a 7-6 deficit to take a 9-7 lead. But the magic ran out in the ninth against the CAA's second-place team. The Patriots fell into fifth place in the CAA, trailing UNC Wilmington for the final spot in the CAA Tournament.

Mark Hill was 3 for 4 with three RBI while Danny Lyons was 2 for 4 with two RBI and Dan Palumbo had three RBI. Brent Mikionis was 3 for 4 with four RBI for VCU (29-20-1, 14-5-1) while Lenherr had three hits. A.J. Johnson (2-2) took the loss for Mason while Jonathan Watson (3-2) picked up the win and Robbie Andrews had his ninth save.

The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the first when Richard Gonzalez doubled and scored on a Mikionis sacrifice fly. They made it 2-0 in the second when Lenherr singled, went to second on a fielder's choice and came home on an M.L. Morgan single. Mason scored its first run in the second when Schafferman doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Palumbo fielder's choice. The Patriots scored three times in the fourth when Hill was hit by a pitch, Shane Davis walked and Palumbo hit a two-run double to give Mason its first lead. Lyons singled to bring home Palumbo for a 4-2 lead.

The Rams tied the game in the fifth when Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, Van Meter singled and a throwing error on a stolen base by Van Meter allowed Gonzalez to score. Van Meter came home on a Mikinois single to make it 4-4. Mason retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Soares walked and scored on a Hill double. The Rams again tied the game, this time in the sixth, when Perkins was hit by a pitch, Morgan doubled and Matt Leskiw grounded out. But Lyons made up for his earlier error when he hit his first homer as a Patriot to give Mason a 6-5 lead.

The Rams put Mason in a hole again in the seventh, this time when Van Meter reached on an error and Mikionis homered to make it 7-6. But the Patriots came up with three runs in the bottom of the inning as Brig Tison singled, stole second and after Soares singled to put runners on the corners, Hill came through with a two-run double. Hill scored on a Davis single up the middle to make it 9-7 and set up VCU's ninth-inning rally.