FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball (7-9) team used hits from eight different players and outings from five different pitchers to pick up the 8-5 victory over James Madison (9-8) on Wednesday afternoon.
Sophomore Tyler Kardas led off the day on the mound for the Patriots where he manned the first three innings of the ballgame. Kardas allowed two hits and one walk and exited the game with a 5-0 lead.
Luke Willis led off the game with the first of his two bloop singles into right-center field and advanced to second on a balk from starting pitcher Mark Gunst. Brandon Gum singled Willis to third two batters later while extending his hit streak to 14 consecutive games in the process. Kent Blackstone chopped a ball to first in the next at bat and Willis used his speed to reach home plate to beat the throw for the 1-0 lead.
The lead increased by four in the third inning on five more hits from the Patriots. Willis singled and stole second to lead off the frame and was again brought home by Blackstone who singled into right-center field. Trevor Kelly singled after Blackstone to extend his hit streak to 12 games to bring home Michael Smith, who reached base on a walk. Jake Kalish lined a ball up the middle shortly after to score Blackstone and Kelly for the 5-0 advantage. Dukes pitcher Gunst took the loss in the game after allowing all five runs to score in three innings.
Saul Aguilera relieved Kardas in the fourth and pitched the next two innings, allowing one run on one hit as he struck out two batters to earn his first win of the season. Riley Coverdale lasted the sixth and Joe Williams managed through the seventh and eighth innings.
Two more runs from the Dukes made the score 5-3 before Ray Toto hit a solo homerun, his first, over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth. Andrew Sable packed on two insurance runs with a two out, two-run single up the middle in the seventh inning, scoring Kelly and Tyler Nelin. Tyler Tobin worked around a two-out double in the ninth for his third save of the year.
The Green and Gold begin Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend when it travels to Richmond, Va. for a three-game series against Richmond. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21 at The Diamond beginning at 1:00 p.m.
