HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The George Mason baseball team chipped away at an early Hofstra lead but couldn't complete the comeback as it fell to the Pride, 6-3, on Saturday afternoon at University Field.
Hofstra extended its winning streak to five games, improving to 10-16 overall and 2-6 in the CAA. Mason dropped to 12-14 overall and 4-7 in the conference after its fourth-consecutive CAA defeat. Mason starter Anthony Montefusco (2-3) took the loss, while Hofstra starter Joe Burg (3-2) picked up his third win of the season.
Montefusco was spectacular through the first three innings, striking out six Hofstra players. However, the Pride pounced the second time through the lineup, as Robbie Cafiero led off the fourth with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Jared Hammer. Matt Reistetter and Joe Perez then connected on back-to-back RBI singles to bring in two runs and give the home team the lead.
Hofstra built on its advantage an inning later, adding three more runs. Austin Nyman hit a leadoff single to left, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Kevin Brantley and scored on a single from Kenny Jackson. Montefusco walked his next two batters, loading the bases for Perez who served the ball to center for a two-RBI single, pushing the HU lead to 5-0.
Mason finally put a run on the board in the top of the seventh inning. With two outs, Josh Leemhuis doubled to right center and scored on a single up the middle from Brandon Gum, pulling the Patriots back to within four runs, 5-1.
The Patriots continued to chip away at the lead in the eighth, as Derek Evans led off with a single and Tommy Vitaletti doubled down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position. HU starter Burg was replaced by Schreiber on the mound, and he got both Duncan Satherlie and Tobin to ground out, but a run would score on each to get Mason back to within two runs, 5-3.
Hofstra got one of those runs back in the home half of the inning, putting runners on the corner with one out for Brantley, who reached on a fielder's choice that allowed a run to score and put the HU advantage back to three runs, 6-3.
Mason put 10 hits on the board and saw four players get at least two hits, as Vitaletti, Fernandez, Montefusco and Leemhuis all finished 2-for-4 on the day. Montefusco worked 4.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Taylor Hunt closed the game for the Patriots, throwing the final 3.1 innings while allowing one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Burg lasted 7.0 innings for Hofstra, giving up three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts, and Schreiber closed the game, allowing one hit over the final two innings. Perez led the Pride at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI's.
The Patriots and Pride conclude the CAA series tomorrow, starting at 1:00 p.m.
