THOMASVILLE, NC – The George Mason baseball team (3-6) fell in a season-high 13 innings to the Marshall Thundering Herd (5-7) by the score of 5-4 in Thomasville, NC Saturday afternoon.

The Patriots jumped out for a lead in the first inning of the four hour and nineteen minute contest. Luke Willis led off the game by getting hit by a pitch followed by Brandon Gum's first walk of the game. Kent Blackstone put a double down the left field line in the next at bat, scoring Willis. Nick Gallo added an RBI groundout to make it 2-0 after one inning. Mason has outscored its opponents 19-2 in the first inning this season. 

Mason's third run came across in the bottom of the second when Gum singled up the middle for his third RBI of the season, scoring Evans who led off the frame with a single. Gum ended the afternoon 2-4 from the plate, one of four Patriots with two hits.

Tyler Zombro rolled through the first five innings, retiring 10 consecutive batters from the third to the first out of the sixth inning. The Herd managed five hits in the sixth inning to tie up the game at three apiece using RBI's from TJ Diffenderfer, Ryne Dean and Sergio Leon. Zombro left after five and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts and seven hits allowed in a no-decision.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the 13th inning when Matt Reed recorded his first hit of the evening, a two-RBI single through the left side off of Evan Porcella (0-1). Mason responded quickly in the bottom half when Michael Smith led off with a double and Willis singled him home to make it 5-4. Willis would make it to third however was stranded to end the ballgame.

Mark Maksimow and John Williams combined for five and one-thirds of scoreless baseball in relief of Zombro, allowing a combined three hits and striking out six.

Mason and Marshall begin a double header at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 8 at Finch Field. Live audio will be available at GoMason.com