FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team needed extra innings to even the series against Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon, scoring the winning run in the tenth for a 2-1 walk-off victory at Spuhler Field.
Rhode Island (7-11, 1-1) generated a run against Mason starter Joe Williams in the top of the fourth. After Chase Livingston singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, Matt O'Neil drove in Livingston with a RBI single into left field to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
Mason (7-16, 1-1) had trouble getting to Rhode Island starter Steve Moyers, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before sophomore Garett Driscoll singled to right field.
The Patriots tied the game in the home half of the seventh. Freshman Greg Popatak II drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a groundout. Sophomore Tyler Nelin then found the gap in left-center field for a two-out RBI double, with Popatak rumbling home to even the score 1-1. Popatak has scored five runs in his last three games.
Freshman Zach Mort took over for Williams to start the eighth inning and was nearly untouchable, retiring nine of the 10 batters that he faced in the game.
The Patriots scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth. Senior Kent Blackstone started the inning with a single to center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nelin. Sophomore Timothy Turner added a pinch-hit single and also went to second on the play to put runners on second and third with one out.
Freshman Jonathan Hansen was down in the count 1-2 and missed on the squeeze bunt for a third strike. On the play Blackstone was halfway down the third base line, but when Rams catcher Chase Livingston tried to get the double play his throw sailed high, allowing Blackstone to scramble across the plate for the winning run.
Mason is 5-2 all-time against Rhode Island and 3-2 against the Rams since joining the Atlantic 10. In 2014, the Patriots won two of three in the series with two shutout wins (5-0, 7-0) and the Rams recorded a 7-6 walk-off win. Last season the Patriots went 12-12 in conference play and Rhode Island went 15-9 to finish in third place.
Williams allowed just one run on six singles over 7.0 innings in the no decision. He struck out six and walked just two. Mort (3-0) gave up just one single in 3.0 innings to earn the win. He has allowed just three runs over 16 innings in 11 appearances this season.
Driscoll, Blackstone, Nelin and Turner each had a hit for the Patriots, who have eight total hits in the series.
The series finale is Sunday at Spuhler Field with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
