MASON PULLS AWAY FOR 8-6 BASEBALL WIN OVER JMU

Friday, April 13

Fairfax, Va.

3:00 PM

James Madison University

11-24, 4-11

George Mason

17-17, 10-8

James Madison

George Mason

4/13/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va., April 13, 2007 ? George Mason University plated two runs in the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie and went on to defeat James Madison University 8-6 in a Colonial Athletic Association game on Friday afternoon at “Hap” Spuhler Field.

GMU improved to 17-17 and 10-8 in the CAA. JMU fell to 11-24 overall and 4-11 in conference, dropping its fourth straight CAA contest.

Back-to-back RBI hits by brothers Jason and Justin Bour (Centreville, Va./Westfield) in the seventh proved to be the difference for the Patriots. The Mason win completed a comeback from an early 5-1 deficit after two innings. The Patriots scored two in the third and three in the fourth to get back in the game..

Freshman Dan Gerjets (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) earned his first win in relief, recording the last two outs in the seventh. Junior J.J. Panell (Springfield, Va./Bishop O'Connell) started for the Patriots and recovered from the five runs allowed early to go 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits with six strikeouts. Sophomore Jordan Flasher (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) worked the last two innings for his league-leading sixth save.

Freshman Kyle Hoffman (Reading, Pa./Twin Valley) took the loss, working 3 1/3 innings of relief and surrendering four runs on five hits. He fell to 3-3.

Junior Chris Fournier (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield) drove in three runs for the Patriots, including a two-run double. Freshman Chris Henderson (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and an RBI. Sophomore Spencer Wiggins (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) was 3-for-3.

Junior Kellen Kulbacki (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey) continued his hot play of late, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored, four RBIs, and an intentional walk. He now has 14 home runs for the season and 46 in his record-breaking career. It was his second straight game with nine total bases, third straight game with a home run, and third straight multiple-hit game. Kulbacki tied the JMU career extra-base-hits record with his third multiple-home run game of the season. He equaled the total of 97 shared by Eddie Kim (2000-03) and Michael Cowgill (2003-06). With three hits in his first three at bats and a walk in his fourth, he had a stretch of base hits in six straight at bats and reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances.

Sophomore Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) had a two-run home run, his third of the season, while playing close to his hometown. Senior Davis Stoneburner (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) and redshirt sophomore Lee Bujakowski (Hopewell, Va./Hopewell) each collected two hits and scored a run.

The Dukes carried some of the offensive momentum from the George Washington 21-4 outburst into the early innings of Friday's game, putting up a four spot in the first inning. Stoneburner led off the game with a single and Kulbacki followed with an opposite-field home run to left for a quick 2-0 lead. Bujakowski laced a double into the gap in right center and Garner followed that with his third home run of the season off the hitter's backdrop in center. It was the first time this season that the Dukes hit two home runs in one inning.

A couple of ground balls up the middle led to the first George Mason run. Henderson hit a slow bouncing ball that got through Stoneburner and freshman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) and allowed Henderson to go all the way around to second. Another high bouncer over the pitcher for a single by Wiggins moved Henderson to third, and he came in to score when Stoneburner's throw sailed at first.

Junior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) reached on an error with one down to start off the second. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and came in to score on an R