FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots needed extra innings on Tuesday afternoon, earning a 6-5 win over James Madison with senior right fielder Kent Blackstone driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning at Spuhler Field. Mason swept the two-game season series against the Dukes.
Mason (11-26, 2-10 A-10) took the lead in the second inning against James Madison starter Daniel Pinson. Freshman Jonathan Hansen singled, sophomore Timothy Turner walked and freshman Alejandro Aponte singled to load the bases with one out. Hansen scored from third on an error to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead and Aponte scrambled across the plate on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Sophomore Tyler Nelin drove in two more runs with a double off the base of the left-field wall to double the lead to 4-0. Mason has scored the first run in each of its last three games and six of the last eight outings.
James Madison (15-22, 5-7 CAA) sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third against Mason starter Tyler Kardas and cut the lead in half. After a walk and a double put runners on second and third with one out, Adam Sisk drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and after another free pass loaded the bases, Kyle McPherson singled to center to make the score 4-2.
In the home half of the third, sophomore Garett Driscoll belted a solo home run over the left field fence to increase the Mason lead to 5-2. The Patriots have now hit a round tripper in four straight home games.
The Mason lead disappeared in the late innings when James Madison scored two runs in seventh on a pair of RBI singles and another in the eighth on a solo home run to even the score 5-5.
The Patriots had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Aponte and sophomore Michael Smith both singled and freshman Caleb Walls was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. James Madison reliever Mark Gunst then struck out the next three batters to send the game into extra innings. Both teams stranded 12 base runners in the game.
In the 11th inning, Walls was hit by a pitch and Nelin singled to left to put runners at first and second with no outs and that set the stage for Blackstone, who delivered with a RBI single, with Walls racing around to score from second base and give the Patriots a thrilling 6-5 win.
Mason is now 6-5 in one-run games and 2-0 in extra-inning games this season. The Patriots earned a 2-1 win in 10 innings March 26 against Rhode Island.
Kardas allowed two runs on four hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out a season-high seven and walked just two. Sophomore Ryan Ricci (2-3) didn't allow a hit in 2.0 innings to earn his second win of the season.
Aponte went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored a run. He has three multi-hit games in his last seven games played. Nelin was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Driscoll's home run was his second in his last eight games. Walls finished 1-for-4, reached base three times and scored two runs, including the game-winner.
Mason begins a three-game series at Radford Friday evening with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
