April 30, 2008

Box Score

Lynchburg, Va. - The George Mason baseball team scored in the top of the 11th and the Patriot bullpen held Liberty scoreless for the final six innings as Mason matched its season high with its fourth-straight win, beating the Flames, 7-6 in Lynchburg, Va. Mason has now won 12 of its past 16 games.

Ryan Soares was 2 for 6 with three RBI, Mark Hill was 3 for 4 with a run scored and Josh Steinberg had a pair of RBI for the Patriots. The Mason bullpen allowed just four hits and two walks in the final six innings. Just two of Liberty's 13 hits were for extra bases. Kenneth Negron and Tim Rotola combined for seven hits and four runs at the top of the order while Aaron Grijalva and Garrett Young each had two hits.

Mason (24-21) had early scoring opportunities as the Patriots loaded the bases in the first with one out but Josh Steinberg and Shane Davis struck out to end the inning. In the second, Mason had first and third with one out but a botched double-steal ended Mason's scoring chances.

Liberty (22-22) didn't squander its scoring opportunity in the third. Three straight one-out singles loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly by David Giammaresi made it 1-0. A pair of walks forced in a run and Young's single made it 3-0. Mason got on the board in the fourth when Shane Davis led off with a walk, Hill reached on an infield single and Soares' two-out base hit made it 3-1.

Liberty went up 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth as three straight singles plated one run and a throwing error by Soares brought home the second run. But Mason rallied in the fifth to take its first lead of the game. Justin Bour led off the frame with a walk and Scott Krieger followed with a double down the left field line. Steinberg's double to center made it 5-3. A pair of one-out walks by Hill and Brent Weiss loaded the bases and Spencer Wiggins' ground out brought home Steinberg. Soares followed with another big two-out hit, this time a double to left-center to make it 6-5.

In the bottom of the fifth, Liberty tied the game behind two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. The Mason bullpen took over from there with Benji Kagan throwing a scoreless sixth and T.J. O'Grady throwing a scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth. In the bottom of the 10th, Liberty put runners on first and second with one out but Shawn Griffith got a pop up and a fly out to end the inning.

Mason scored the go-ahead run in the 11th in a rather unusual manner. Chris Henderson led off the inning with a double and went to third on a Bour ground out. Krieger struck out but the ball got away from the catcher and Henderson scored on the wild pitch. Liberty didn't go easily, though. Rotola led off with a double but Griffith (2-1) got a strike out, a pop out and a fly out to end the game and earn the win.

The Patriots will take a day off before playing a three-game series at nationally-ranked UNC Wilmington. The Seahawks are in first place in the Colonial Athletic Association, four wins ahead of fourth-place Mason in the standings.