The
George Mason baseball team put the tying run on third base in the bottom of the
ninth inning but couldn't push the run across as the Patriots dropped the
series opener to Northeastern, 5-4 at Spuhler Field. Mason had nine hits in the
game but none belonged to the nation's hit leader, Brig Tison, who saw his
school-record hitting streak come to an end after 27-straight. It was the first
time since March 22 that the junior didn't have a hit and just the second time
all season he did not reach base.
The
Huskies scored two in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead then added an insurance run
in the ninth. That proved to be the difference in the end as Les Williams went
eight and one-third to improve to 5-5 and Dylan Maki picked up his fifth save
of the year. Two of Northeastern's five runs were unearned. Matt Miller was 3
for 3 for Northeastern with three RBI while Chris Cook and Blaise Fernandez
each had two hits for the Patriots.
In
the top of the first, the Huskies (14-27, 9-13 CAA) got back-to-back singles
from Aaron Barbosa and Alan Pastyrnak Jr. to lead off the game and Miller
plated the first run on a sacrifice fly. The inning ended when Pastyrnak was
thrown out trying to score by Tison. In the bottom of the inning, Cook led off
with a single, went to second on a Tison ground out and scored on a Fernandez
single to right.
In
the fifth, the Huskies retook the lead as, with two outs, Barbosa and Pastyrnak
walked and Miller singled to make it 2-1. Mason took its lone lead of the game
in the bottom of the inning when Jordan Hill singled, Cook doubled and Tison
made it 2-2 on a sacrifice fly. Fernandez hit a two-out single to make it 3-2.
The Huskies retook the lead in the sixth. Jeff Dunlap doubled and John Puttress
singled to tie the game. After Chris O'Grady came on in relief of T.J. O'Grady,
Connor Lyons walked and Puttress scored on a throwing error by the shortstop,
Hill.
It
stayed a 4-3 game until, in the ninth, Oliver Hart led off with a single, Chris
O'Grady made an error on Ricky Salvucci's sacrifice bunt, and Barbosa followed
with a bunt single to load the bases. After Pastyrnak struck out, Miller hit a
sacrifice fly to make it a two-run game. In the bottom of the inning, Danny
Lyons hit a one out single and pinch runner Jeremy Haas scored on pinch hitter
Mick Foley's double to left center. Cook was hit by a pitch and Tison's grounder
advanced the runners to second and third, but Dan Schafferman flew out to
center to end the contest.
The
Patriots and Huskie will continue their series on Saturday with first pitch at
Spuhler Field scheduled for 2 p.m.
