RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason baseball team (14-18-1, 5-7) won its first Atlantic 10 series of the season after the 7-6 victory over the VCU Rams (19-15, 5-4) on Sunday evening.
Mason took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. VCU cut their deficit to 7-5 with a one-out triple and scored its second of the inning on a single up the middle in the next at bat. Tyler Tobin entered the game with two outs gone in a 7-5 game and was able to force a groundout to Brandon Gum to end the game for his fourth save of the season.
The Rams jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a single, triple and single in the inning off of starter Tyler Zombro. Mason answered in the top of the third with three runs for the 3-2 lead. Derek Evans and Luke Wills led off with singles and were advanced 90 feet on Michael Smith's first sacrifice bunt of the game. After Gum walked to load the bases Jake Kalish flew to center field for a sacrifice fly and Kent Blackstone lined a ball over the first baseman two score two runs for the 3-2 advantage.
VCU tied the game at three apiece in the bottom of the third but the run was answered in the top of the fifth. Willis was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to second by another Smith sac bunt. After Gum moved Willis to third with a single into right field the throw in got away and allowed Willis to run home and tie the game. Kalish singled into right center field afterwards to give Mason the 4-3 lead.
Once again the Rams tied the game in the bottom of the sixth but the Patriots took the lead for good in the top of the seventh. Kalish led off with a walk to set up an RBI triple for Blackstone, his eighth of the season. Tyler Nelin scored Blackstone on a sacrifice fly, the fourth sacrifice of the game for Mason, for a 7-5 lead.
Zombro pitched the first five innings in his fourth victory of the year, allowing two earned runs on only three hits with four strikeouts. He was relieved by Evan Porcella who tossed two innings, followed by Williams and Tobin who closed out the game in the final two innings.
Mason concludes a five-game road stretch on Tuesday at Georgetown for a 7:00 p.m game.
