The George Mason baseball team used a four-run fourth inning to take control of its midweek road game and scored five runs in the final three innings to hold off Longwood as the Patriots evened their record at 2-2 thanks to a 12-5 victory over the Lancers (2-2).

Shane Davis was 2 for 2 with two runs scored, Chris Cook was 2 for 3 with two RBI, Zack Helgeson was 2 for 3 with three runs scored and Garret Marin pitched three innings in relief allowing just one earned run as Mason had 11 hits and a season-low one error.

The Patriots got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of the third. Nick Allen hit a one-out double, went to third on a ground out, and after Brig Tison was hit by a pitch, Allen came home when Tison stole second and the throw went into the outfield. The Lancers tied the score in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back singles and an RBI fielder's choice by Dustin Sollars.

The Patriots retook the lead in the fourth as the Lancers committed errors on three straight plays. Zack Helgeson led things off with a walk, Shane Davis followed with a single and an error on Jeremy Haas ' sacrifice bunt brought Helgeson home. Mick Foley followed with a grounder that was misplayed and the Patriots were suddenly ahead 3-1. Another error on a sacrifice bunt by Danny Lyons brought home Haas and Foley scored later on a Chris Cook sacrifice fly.

Once again Longwood answered immediately, this time with a walk, a double and a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one down. A wild pitch brought home the inning's first run and Robby Newman's RBI double made it 5-3. After a single to shallow right put runners on the corners, a fielder's choice brought home Newman to make it 5-4. After that Mason scored seven unanswered runs to put the game away.

In the fifth, back-to-back one-out walks by Helgeson and Davis put two runners on and a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Haas made it 6-4. In the sixth, Cook led off with a single, stole second, took third on a ground out, and after Blaise Fernandez walked, Helgeson made it 7-4 with a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, Foley led off with a single, took second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a single by Allen, and after Cook walked to load the bases, Foley came home on a Tison fielder's choice. On the play, Longwood attempted to turn a double play but the throw to first got away and Allen came home as well.

Armed with the 9-4 lead, Mason didn't rest. In the ninth, Helgeson led off with a single and Davis and Jake Kalish followed with walks. With one out, Lyons doubles to bring home two runs and Kalish scored two batters later on a Cook single. The Lancers' final run came in the eighth on a Justin Lacy solo homer.

The Patriots next take the field on Friday when they open a four-game set with Long Island. Mason hosts the Blackbirds on Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at Noon in a doubleheader, and Sunday at 1 p.m.