PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The George Mason baseball team fell 10-1 to the La Salle Explorers in the first of three games this weekend at Hank DeVincent Field on Friday.

Mason's conference record falls to 9-10 overall while the Explorers improve to 10-9. The overall record is now 20-25-1 for the Patriots.

Jake Kalish made his 12th start of the season for the Patriots, allowing an early 2-0 lead for La Salle after the second inning. After a Joey Ravert single to lead off Josh Savakinus sent a ball over the left field wall to give the Explorers the advantage.

La Salle put two more on the board in the bottom of the fifth before Mason tacked on its only run in the top of the sixth. Brandon Gum led off with a double into the left field corner, extending his hit streak to 23 games. He tagged up for third on Kent Blackstone's fly ball to left field and made it home on Tyler Nelin's sacrifice fly to center field, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

Kalish pitched through the first six innings, giving up five earned runs after La Salle added one more in the bottom of the sixth. He also recorded six strikeouts and one walk in his fifth loss of the season.

The Explorers capitalized on a bases loaded, no-out situation in the bottom of the seventh, scoring one run with a bases loaded walk and two more on a single that went just under Michael Smith's glove into center field. They completed the scoring with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth.

Mark Maksimow entered and exited the game in the top of the seventh after loading the bases. Tyler Kardas rounded out the final two innings in relief. Luke Willis singled for Mason's first hit of the game in the top of the third, giving him the third longest hit streak in program history at 24 games. The Patriots ended with seven hits to La Salle's 11.

Mason and La Salle continue to play on Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m.