FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team erased a four-run deficit, scoring 11 runs over the last four innings to cruise past Longwood 13-6 on Tuesday afternoon in the finale of a four-game homestand at Spuhler Field.

Mason (4-12) fell behind in the top of the first inning when Longwood (10-7) scored two runs against freshman Brian Marconi, who was making his third start of the season.  Sophomore Sammy Miller drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored easily on a RBI single to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead.  Longwood then made it 2-0 on a RBI double.  The Patriots have allowed the first run in 11 of their 16 games.

The Patriots evened the score in the bottom of the third with one swing of the bat.  Senior Brandon Gum reached on a single with two outs to set the stage for senior Kent Blackstone, who crushed his second home run of the season over the right field fence to tie the game 2-2.  Mason has hit seven home runs on the season.

“I just went up looking for the first pitch,” Blackstone said about his home run.  “I was thinking maybe he'll just grove a fastball and I just put a good swing on it.”

The big inning was the story of the day.  After Marconi retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the fifth, he then allowed five straight Longwood hitters to reach base, with the Lancers scoring four times to take a 6-2 lead.  Senior Colton Konvicka drove in two with a triple to right field and Miller knocked in two more with his second double of the game.

Not to be outdone, Mason sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs in the home half of the fifth inning when Longwood starter Tyler Wirsu had issues with the strike zone.  Tim Quinn, Greg Popatak II and Blackstone each walked to load the bases with one out. 

After a pitching change, pinch hitter Garett Driscoll also earned a free pass to force in Quinn to make the score 6-3.  Popatak scored on a wild pitch and classmate Ryan Tassone delivered the only hit of the inning, a two-run single to tie the game 6-6.   

“We got off to a slow start and we answered right back,” said Tassone, who drove in a season-high four runs.  “We all stayed calm and had a good approach and it turned out in a win.” 

The Patriots put together a five-run rally in the sixth inning when two Longwood relievers struggled to find the plate.  The Patriots walked five times in the inning and Tassone added another two-run single to give Mason an 11-6 advantage.

The Patriots scored a season-high 13 runs on Tuesday to snap the Lancers three-game winning streak.

“We end up getting a couple of big numbers back-to-back that broke the game open for us and we need to continue to do that,” head coach Bill Brown said after the game.  “We're starting to get opportunities again and we have to cash in on them,” Brown added.

Mason tacked on single run in the seventh when Popatak tripled and scored on a wild pitch for the second time in the game to make it 12-6.  In the eighth, Tassone doubled with two outs and eventually crossed the plate on a wild pitch for the final run of the day.
  
Marconi allowed six runs on six hits in 5.0 innings for Mason.  Senior Mark Maksimow (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings and earned the win when the Patriots scored the five runs in the bottom of the sixth.  He threw 22 pitches, 16 for strikes.  Jon Peterson (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on one hit and walking four in just one inning of work for Longwood.   

Tassone went 3-for-5 with four RBI and scored a run.  Gum was 2-for-4 with two walks and reached base four times for the second straight game.  Blackstone finished 1-for-3 with a homer and scored three times.  Popatak went 1-for-2 with two walks and crossed the plate three times.  Sophomore Frank Sturek, Driscoll and Tassone combined to drive in seven of the Patriots 11 runs.  Eight players for Mason scored at least one run in the game.

“We had some production up and down the lineup today which was key for us,” Brown said of the Patriots approach at the plate.  “You have to be patient and you have to take great at-bats and we did.”

The Patriots had only eight hits in the game but drew a season-high 14 walks.  Nine different Patriots earned at least one free pass on the day.

Mason makes a trip to Lexington, Va. on Wednesday, March 16 to take on VMI.  RHP Ryan Ricci (0-2, 11.57) is the probable starter for the Patriots.  RHP Jared Silva (1-0, 5.25) is slated to start for VMI.  The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.