RICHMOND, Va. – Redshirt senior Jake Kalish pitched the Patriots' first complete game of the season in George Mason baseball's (13-17-1, 4-6) 8-1 victory in the series-opening game at VCU (18-14, 4-3) on Friday.

Kalish pitched the full nine innings for the first time this season, allowing 10 hits but only one earned run and no walks with four strikeouts. It is his second consecutive victory as he moves to 3-3 with an ERA of 2.94.

Tyler Nelin began the scoring in the second after Mason ended the first with a 4-6-3 double play on defense. Nelin sent out his fourth homerun of the season on a first pitch swing off of Matt Blanchard with two outs in the inning for the 1-0 lead.

VCU tied the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back two out doubles from Cody Acker and Darian Carpenter. Mason wasted no time reclaiming the lead when Brandon Gum hit his first homerun of the season, a solo shot to left field with one out in the top of the sixth. After Kalish drew a walk and Kent Blackstone singled to force a pitching change Brady Acker sent a double into the left field corner to put Mason up 4-1.

Nelin followed Acker with his second homerun of the game and team-leading fifth of the season to put Mason up 6-1. The freshman drove in his season-high fourth RBI of the game in the eighth on a ground ball, ending his day 2-4. Gum, Blackstone and Luke Willis also recorded two hits in the game as the team totaled 11. Blackstone brought home the final run of the day as he drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the ninth, scoring Michael Smith.

Game two of the weekend takes place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 11th at The Diamond.