Dukes Fall at George Mason in Midweek Bout

Wednesday, March 18

Fairfax, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

9-8

George Mason

7-9

James Madison

George Mason

3/18/2015 8:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The James Madison baseball team couldn't quite dig itself out of an early hole on Wednesday afternoon, as the Dukes dropped an 8-5 decision at George Mason in their final contest before starting conference play.

JMU, which fell to 9-8 with the loss, bounced back from deficits of 5-0 and 6-2 to cut Mason's lead to 6-5 with three runs in the seventh inning, but could not complete the comeback, as the Patriots scored a pair in the bottom of the seventh to move to 7-9 on the year.

Redshirt junior shortstop Chad Carroll was the only Duke with multiple hits on the day, going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored, while sophomore left fielder Ky Parrott came off the bench to go 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run.

Mason got on the board in the first, making it 1-0 on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice, before using five singles, including four straight at one point, and a walk to plate four runs with only one out in the third inning. The Dukes escaped the inning on a popout and a nice play at third base by junior Kyle Weston, but the Patriots took a 5-0 lead through three full innings.

JMU pulled one back in the top of the fourth after Weston walked on four pitches with one out. Freshman center fielder Michael Sciorra hammered a 1-0 pitch off the left-center wall for one of the Dukes' four doubles on the day, scoring Weston from first and cutting the lead to 5-1.

The Dukes picked up another run in the sixth, when Weston's fielder's choice drove in Parrott, who had led off the inning with another double, from third, but Mason moved back ahead, 6-2, on Ray Toto's solo home run to lead off the bottom half of the frame.

In the seventh, JMU pulled nearly even with three runs on two hits and an error. Senior designated hitter Kevin Husum singled through the right side to open the inning and junior catcher Bobby San Martin reached on a two-base error in left field to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Junior pinch hitter Tyler Carroll bounced a fielder's choice up the middle to plate Husum before his brother Chad punched an 0-2 breaking ball down the right field line to double home San Martin and make it 6-4. After Chad moved to third on a wild pitch, an RBI groundout from Parrott cut the lead to 6-5 before the Patriots escaped the inning.

Mason put the game out of reach, however, in the bottom of the seventh. After a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs, the Patriots chopped a single up the middle to plate both runners and take the 8-5 advantage.

Junior right-hander Mark Gunst took the loss for JMU, working three innings in the start, while Saul Aguilera earned the win for Mason. Freshman left-hander Tucker McCoy yielded just one hit in two innings of relief for the Dukes, striking out a pair, while fellow freshman Colton Harlow gave up a hit and walked one over the final 1.1 innings.

The Dukes will kick off their Colonial Athletic Association slate this weekend when they travel south for a three-game series at league-newcomer Elon on Friday-Sunday, March 19-21. JMU will play at 6 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday before wrapping up the weekend with a 1:30 p.m. bout on Sunday afternoon.