Box Score Final Score: St. Bonaventure 8 | George Mason 6
Location: Fairfax, Va. (Spuhler Field)
Records: George Mason: 19-12 (6-3) | St. Bonaventure: 8-19 (2-7)
St. Bonaventure Starters: Thad Johnson (SS), Gresock (3B), Dunn (C), Heath (RF), Rosencrance (DH), Brozick (1B), Bell (CF), Weightman (LF), Styn (2B), Connor Grey (P)
George Mason Starters: Luke Willis (CF), Brandon Gum (SS), Blaise Fernandez (3B), Tucker Tobin (LF), Josh Leemhuis (RF), Anthony Montefusco (DH), Ray Toto (C), Chris Cook (2B), Mick Foley (1B), Jared Gaynor (P)
Short Story:
The St. Bonaventure Bonnies defeated the George Mason Patriots in 11 innings, 8-6, in game two of a three-game weekend series to earn their second conference win.
SBU scored a run in the first three innings to match the Patriots' three runs. The 3-3 stalemate held by Connor Grey's strong pitching would last three and a half innings.
In the top of the seventh, Joel Rosencrance drove home Dylan Dunn on a two-out double to give the Bonnies a 4-3 lead.
But, the Patriots managed to squeeze home a run in the bottom of the eighth inning and eventually take the game into extra innings.
After a quiet 10th inning for both teams, the Bonnies broke the game open with four runs in the 11th inning. George Mason answered with two runs in the bottom half, but it wasn't enough as the Bonnies came out on top.
How It Happened:
- The Bonnies started the game off with a bang, as Thad Johnson led off with a single. Bradley Gresock moved him to second base with a sac bunt, and Johnson eventually scored off an error by third basemen Blaise Fernandez off a Dylan Dunn batted ball.
- But, George Mason answered back with a two-run double to centerfield by Tucker Tobin, scoring Fernandez and Brandon Gum to make it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the first.
- The Brown and White knotted it at 2 in the top of the second on a two-out double to left field by Thad Johnson, scoring Tyler Bell.
- But, George Mason reclaimed the lead with Chris Cook hammered a solo homerun to right to make it 3-2 through two innings.
- The Bonnies would score a run in the third straight inning when Joel Rosencrance scored on a single by Bell to tie the game at 3 in the top of the third.
- Pitcher Connor Grey settled into a grove, holding Mason scoreless in the third, fourth and fifth innings and surrendering just three hits through five innings of work.
- Following Grey's strong work through five, he worked himself into and out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, he walked both Anthony Montefusco and Ray Toto, then loaded the bases when he hit Cook with a pitch. But, Grey managed a Mick Foley groundout on the ensuing at bat to close out the sixth inning with no damage done.
- The Bonnies broke the three-and-a-half inning stalemate when Dunn scored on a Rosencrance two-out double to make it 4-3 in the seventh inning. The tie-breaking double led to pitcher Jared Gaynor's removal for Taylor Hunt.
- After retiring two men in the bottom of the seventh and a base hit from Fernandez, Steven Klimek replaced Grey on the mound.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Klimek hit Leemhuis with a pitch with no outs. Montefusco moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Leemhuis then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Klimek then walked Toto, who was pinch ran for by Andrew Sabie. Cook knocked Leemhuis home to tie the game at 4 with a sacrifice fly for his second RBI of the day.
- New Patriots pitcher Mark Maksimow shut down the Bonnies in the top of the ninth, taking a tie ball game into the bottom of the ninth.
- Klimek retired the Patriots in order in the bottom of the ninth, taking the 4-4 game into extra innings.
- Both teams had base runners in the 10th, but failed to cash them in.
- Johnson ledoff the 11th inning for the Brown and White with a double down the left field line. Ryan Cox moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt on the next at bat. Gum then made an error off a Dylan Dunn hit ball, which allowed Johnson to score the go-ahead run for the Bonnies.
- Brett Heath followed with a single, advancing Dunn to third. The hit sent Evan Porcella to the mound for Maksimow
- SBU received some insurance on the ensuing at bat as Joel Rosencrance singled up the middle to score Dunn and advance Heath to thir, bringing the score to 6-4. Then, Justin Brozick sacrificed Rosencrance to second, and Heath scored on the throw, giving the Bonnies a 7-4 lead.
- Tyler Bell then drove home Rosencrance on an RBI single to give the Bonnies their eighth and final run, and take an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the 11th.
- Drew Teller came in to pith for Kilmek in the bottom of the 11th. The Patriots managed to score two runs, but came up short.
Inside The Box Score:
- The Bonnies out-hit the Patriots 15-6 in the contest.
- Joel Rosencrance went 2-4 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Connor Grey threw 6.2 strong innings, surrendering just four hits and three earned runs. He exited the game with a 4-3 lead.
- Tyler Bell went 4-6 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Thad Johnson went 3-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
On Deck:
The Bonnies will look to win the series tomorrow afternoon
