Box Score
Box score
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Mason junior
Bryce Nightengale and sophomore
Jared DiCesare combined for a three-hit shutout in Mason's 2-0 victory over Davidson on Saturday at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
Mason (14-15, 6-2 A-10) took the lead in the first inning against Davidson (19-11, 5-3 A-10) starter Evan Roberts in a game that would turn into a pitcher's duel.
Graduate student
Frank Sturek led off the game with a double into the left field corner and moved to third on a ground out. With one out, sophomore
Logan Driscoll walked to put runners on first and third.
Senior
Trevor Kelly then drove in his 22nd run of the season with a fielder's choice ground out, with Sturek coasting across the plate to put the Patriots in front 1-0.
The Patriots have scored the first run in seven of their eight conference games.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Davidson senior Andrew Born and sophomore Walker Imwalle walked, but Nightengale got junior Max Bazin to fly out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Davidson had one of its best scoring chances. Bazin reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on a failed pick off attempt. Freshman Alex Mardiney then hit a hard grounder to
Michael Smith at short. Smith dropped the ball and Bazin rounded third and raced for home, but Smith threw him out at the plate with
Logan Driscoll applying the tag for the final out of the inning to preserve the lead.
After the double by Sturek in the first inning, the Patriots went hitless until the eighth.
Kelly reached on a fielding error to start the eighth inning and senior
Tyler Nelin followed with a single to left, with Kelly going to third to put runners on the corners.
Mason junior
Ryan Tassone hit a fly ball to center, with Kelly crossing the plate on the sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.
Sophomore
Jared DiCesare took over on the hill for the Patriots in the sixth and retired the first eight batters he faced.
The Wildcats threatened in the eighth when Mardiney was hit by a pitch and sophomore Brett Centracchio doubled to put runners on second and third. DiCesare escaped the jam and got a fly out to end the inning.
The Patriots have recorded four of their six wins in Atlantic 10 play by shutout. Mason starters have allowed just nine runs with 55 strikeouts and 11 walks over 57.2 innings in the first eight conference games of the season.
Nightengale (3-2) allowed just two singles and struck out six over 5.0 innings to earn the win. DiCesare surrendered just one hit over 4.0 innings to pick up his first save of the season.
For the Wildcats, Roberts (4-3) gave up two runs on three hits over 7.2 innings and took the loss.
Sturek went 1-for-4 and scored a run. He has reached base safely in eight straight and 11 of the last 12 games. Tassone was 1-for-2 with a walk, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly.
The two teams combined for just six hits in the game.
The Patriots and Wildcats play the rubber game of the series on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
