March 14, 2003
Box Score
FAIRFAX, VA - Junior Bruce Baldwin's single off the third-base bag in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in the winning run as George Mason defeated Marist, 3-2, in a non-conference college baseball game Friday afternoon at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field.
George Mason stopped a two-game losing streak to improve to 5-6, while Marist dropped its second straight contest to fall to 5-2.
Baldwin (2-5) connected for his second hit of the day with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to score sophomore Jimmy Freund from third. Freshman Brian Dunleavy led off the inning with a pinch-hit single and, after Freund came in as a pinch-runner, senior Evan Howard sacrificed to move him to second. Freund went to third on a groundout by sophomore Matt Cooksey and junior Jeff Palumbo was walked intentionally after taking two balls to put runners at first and third for Baldwin, who hit a 1-1 pitch down the third-base line and the ball skipped off the base for a hit to score the winning run.
Mason had taken a 2-1 lead in the seventh as Cooksey hit a one-out triple and scored on a wild pitch, but the Red Foxes battled back in the top of the ninth to tie the game. With two outs, junior Tyler Brock hit a pinch-hit single and senior Josh Pardo came on to pinch-run. Sophomore Keith Brachold was hit by pitch, which forced Patriot senior starter John Sterling out of the game, and senior Mike Sidoti (2-4) hit a single to left field off sophomore reliever Stacen Gant to tie the game at 2-2.
Both teams scored unearned runs in the first inning before the two starting pitchers - Sterling for Mason and senior Chuck Bechtel for Marist - settled in to a pitcher's duel. Sterling allowed just five hits, walked none and struck out seven in 8 2/3 innings, while Bechtel allowed six hits, walked five and fanned 11 in 6 1/3 innings. Gant (1-0) picked up the win, while sophomore George Heath (0-1) took the loss.
George Mason and Marist continue the three-game series with games Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
LINESCORE
Marist (5-2) 100 000 001 -- 2 6 1
George Mason (5-6) 100 000 101 -- 3 8 0
Bechtel, Heath (7) and Sidoti; Sterling, Gant (9) and Prosise.
WP - Gant (1-0). LP - Heath (0-1).
HR - None.
