May 15, 2004

Box Score

It took a little longer than planned, but the George Mason baseball team finally got around to winning its 33rd game of the season on Saturday afternoon when Chris Looze hit a two-out double to centerfield to score Matt Cooksey from first and lift the Patriots to a 5-4 win in 11 innings. The Patriots improved to 17-3 in Colonial Athletic Association action and maintained a three-game lead in the standings with four to play.

Stacen Gant, who entered the game 9-0 on the season, saw the bullpen give away his third win of the year when Josh Morrison was unable to close the door in the ninth. Gant threw 136 pitches in eight innings and allowed a season-high three earned runs on five hits and four walks. Morrison, who has been terrific all season, got the first out of the ninth before Ryan Graham doubled to left and Todd Davison singled to left to make it 4-4. Jason Mills came on in relief and ended the ninth-inning rally. He pitched the tenth and eleventh to earn the win and improve to 3-3. Gant will have to wait a week for his next shot at his tenth win of the year. He could be 12-0 in his 13 starts if the George Mason relievers had done their part this season.

The Patriots (33-13, 17-3) scored first in the game, putting three runs on the board in the third.Jimmy Freund, Bruce Baldwin and Jeff Palumbo led off the inning with three straight singles and a 1-0 lead. After Matt Cooksey reached on a fielder's choice that erased the lead runner, Nick Shimer doubled down the left field line to make it 3-0. The Blue Hens rallied for two runs in the top of the fourth as Dave Harden and Kelly Buber drew back-to-back one-out walks and Brian Valichka doubled them home to make it 3-2. Delaware (28-20, 10-9) tied the game in the sixth when Valichka hit a two-out double and Ed McDonnell singled to right to tie the game.

It stayed tied until the bottom of the seventh when Palumbo walked with one out, Cooksey singled to put runners on first and second and Chris Looze singled to center to plate Palumbo. After Shimer was intentionally walked for the second time in the game, Adam Innerst grounded into a double-play to end the rally. After Delaware tied the game in the ninth, the Patriots had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the frame but Josh Campbell, an eighth-inning defensive replacement for Innerst in left field, struck out with the bases loaded.

Mills and Delaware reliever Joe Coudon both cruised through the tenth inning before the Patriots were able to break through for the game-winning run in the eleventh. During the final homestand of the year for the Patriots, senior Jeff Palumbo set himself up to have a very memorable weekend. On Saturday, he broke the school record for runs in a season when he scored for the 66th time this year. He was 4 for 5 on the day and is now one hit shy of tying the school record for hits in a career. Cooksey, meanwhile, tripled for the second straight day and now has 14 career triples, tying him atop the school's record book with Mike Colangelo.

The Patriots are now 20 games over .500 for the first time since 1992.

The two teams face again on Sunday with Brent Hitz (3-0) pitching for the Patriots against Jarame Beaupre (5-1). Sunday's game, which is Senior Day for the current players and Alumni Day for the former players, begins at 1 p.m.