Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

FAIRFAX, Va. - A pair of three-run rallies by George Mason overwhelmed the Blue Hens as the University of Delaware baseball team fell to the Patriots, 6-3, during a Colonial Athletic Association contest at Spuhler Field on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan Cuneo (at right) led Delaware (20-17, 3-8 CAA) after going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Steve Ulaky also posted three hits and knocked in a run, while Carlos Alonso, D.J. Long, and Pat Dameron each tallied a hit and scored a run.

The loss was the Hens’ fifth straight at the hands of George Mason (25-12, 9-5) dating back to the 2008 season. Overall, UD has not won a contest in Fairfax since April 8, 2007.

Early in the game, Delaware took an initial lead with a run in the top of the first. One day after seeing his 30-game hitting streak come to an end, Long started a new one with a one-out double down the leftfield line. Cuneo quickly followed with an RBI single to right that gave the squad an early 1-0 advantage.

After going down relatively quietly in their first two trips to the plate, the Patriots broke through in the third. Brig Tison opened the scoring with an RBI single to right center. Following a Delaware pitching change, Ryan Soares kept up the attack with another run-scoring hit before a wild pitch and a Blue Hen throwing error allowed Tison to come home with Mason’s third run of the inning.

Down by two, Delaware quickly cut its deficit in half with a run in the fourth. Dameron led off the inning with a screaming double down the rightfield line. Two batters later, Ulaky smacked an RBI single to center that pulled Delaware back within one at 3-2.

George Mason wasted no time responding as the squad pieced together its second three-run rally in the bottom of the inning. Dan Palumbo drew a leadoff walk and Dan Schafferman singled before Brett Hendricks moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Later, Chris Cook put down another bunt that brought in Palumbo before Jeremy Haas punched a two-run shot down the rightfield line that gave the squad a 6-2 advantage.

While the Patriots continued to put crooked numbers on the board, Delaware kept answering with single runs. In the top of the fifth, Alonso doubled, and two batters later, Cuneo chased him in with a single to right.

After that, pitching dominated over the final four innings of play. Relievers Devon Pearson and Michael O’Keeffe each worked a pair of scoreless frames for the Hens, while George Mason’s Ryan Brecko and A.J. Johnson matched the Delaware duo pitch-for-pitch.

Although the Hens finally pieced together one last rally in the ninth after Ulaky doubled and Todd Menchaca beat out an infield single, a last-minute surge was not to be as Johnson stymied the threat and closed out the victory for Mason.

Michael Londino (5-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work. Brecko (3-0) picked up the victory for Mason after striking out seven while scattering three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Johnson earned the save after tossing two scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

The two teams will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.