FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team made it a one-run game after the seventh inning but was unable to complete the comeback as the Patriots fell to George Washington 5-4 on Friday afternoon.

The loss moves Mason to 16-22-1, 5-8 in the Atlantic 10. GW picks up a game and improves to 11-4 in the conference, 25-12 overall.

The ballgame began as a pitchers dual between redshirt senior Jake Kalish and George Washington starter Bobby LeWarne with only two Mason hits in the first three innings. The Colonials went up 3-0 in three at bats in the top of the fourth inning with two doubles followed by a two-run homerun from Brandon Chapman.

Mason cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the sixth after Brandon Gum grounded home Ray Toto on a fielders choice with the bases loaded and Kent Blackstone chopped a ball over first baseman Bobby Campbell to score Luke Willis. Gum and Willis each went 1-4 this afternoon, extending their hit streaks to 17 games each.

Kalish delivered scoreless fifth and sixth innings before allowing two more runs in another three-batter stretch in the top of the seventh. Ryan Xepoleas led off with a walk before back-to-back doubles by Kevin Mahala and Andrew Selby followed to put the Colonial lead at 5-2. Kalish pitched seven innings while striking out five batters and allowing a season-high three walks.

The Patriots made it a 5-4 ballgame with two runs in the bottom of the seventh off of LeWarne, who exited after seven complete with eight strikeouts. Brady Acker led off with a double and was moved to third on a fly ball by Trevor Kelly. Toto's sacrifice fly brought him home and Willis sent out a solo homerun that cleared the left field wall in the next at bat, his fourth of the season.

Craig LeJeune threw a perfect eighth inning to setup Eddie Muhl for his NCAA-leading 15th save on nine pitches in the bottom of the ninth. Evan Porcella tossed the final two innings for Mason in relief of Kalish.

Saturday's game at Spuhler Field is now set to begin at a new start time of 1:00 p.m. in the continuation of the #RevRivalry.