Chapel Hill, N.C. – Despite a four for five day from Josh Leemhuis and outhitting its opponent, the George Mason baseball team was handed its sixth loss of the season on Tuesday afternoon, coming in a 13-3 defeat by the 13th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Mason moves to 9-6 on the season, 2-2 in away contests while the Tar Heels improve to 11-4. Senior pitcher Michael Bowie, making his first appearance of the season earned the loss to move his record to 0-1. Sophomore Reily Hovis picked up his third victory of the season for the Tar Heels.

The Patriots scored two of their three runs of the game in the first two innings to provide Bowie early support on the mound. Luke Willis led off the game with a double down the left field line which Chris Cook followed up with a walk. After a Blaise Fernandez fly ball advanced Willis to third, Anthony Montefusco hit a grounder the shortstop that brought home Willis for run number one.

Leemhuis and Ray Toto led off the second inning with back-to-back singles before Brandon Gum was eventually hit by a pitch to load the bases. Willis would drive in a run this time, beating out a ground ball to reach on a fielder's choice to give Mason a 2-0 lead. Leemhuis improved his batting average to .379 in 15 games which leads all regular starters.

North Carolina answered in the bottom of the second with four runs and held on to the lead from there. The key play in the inning was a three-run double from Wood Myers into left field, giving the Tar Heels the lead. Bowie surrendered all three and ended his day pitch three innings, allowing four runs on three hits with two walks.

Mason made it a one-run game in the fifth when Leemhuis doubled to left field to score Montefusco but would not be able to close the gap any further. Walks continued to hurt the Patriots on the mound when two free passes from Evan Porcella scored on a triple by Tyler Ramirez to right field. Another run would come around in the inning to make it 5-3 after five. North Carolina sealed the win by scoring six runs in an eighth inning in which it scored on five hits to finalize the score at 13-3.

Hovis earned the victory pitching 3.1 innings in relief, giving up three hits and striking out six Patriots. Taylor Hunt, Tyler Kardas and Riley Coverdale also made appearances on the mound for Mason, which allowed a total of 10 hits in the ballgame while outputting 11 on offense.

The Green and Gold is back in Fairfax for another lengthy homestand, kicking it off by hosting Brown University (0-3) for a Friday-Sunday series beginning on March 14 at 3:00 p.m.