FAIRFAX, Va. – The Brown Bears (4-11) scored all six of their runs unearned on four errors as they defeated the George Mason baseball team (8-12) 6-5 on Tuesday afternoon.
Mason trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth and was able to claw out one run with the bases loaded. A wild pitch scored Brandon Gum to cut the deficit to one run however Ray Toto struck out with runners on second and third to end the comeback attempt.
Luke Willis reached base on the first of three walks to lead off the game on offense and eventually stole second base, the first of three steals as well for the senior. After advancing to third on a single from Gum Kent Blackstone batted home the first to two runs in the game to give Mason a 1-0 lead.
Saul Aguilera kept Mason off the board for the first four and two-thirds innings in his second start of the season, giving up only four hits and striking out and walking two batters. Brown gained the lead in the top of the fifth before Aguilera exited, scoring three runs on a Mason fielding error with two outs.
The Patriots tied the game up in the bottom of the frame with Willis and Smith both reaching base and stealing second and third, allowing Gum to score Willis on a groundout and Blackstone to score Smith on a single up the middle. Smith tallied three hits in five at bats, two of them bunt singles down the third base line.
The Bears retook the lead for the final time in the top of the sixth on two more Mason errors and added one insurance run in the top of the ninth on the fourth error of the day by the Patriots. Taylor Hunt suffered the loss as the winning runs scored while he was on the mound, allowing one hit in two-thirds innings. Evan Porcella pitched the next two and two-thirds innings while Tobin threw the top of the ninth.
The two-game set between the two teams finalizes on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.