WILMINGTON, N.C. – The George Mason baseball team jumped out to a three run lead against UNCW on Friday, but the Seahawks stormed back and then held off the Patriots in the late innings for a 12-8 win at Brooks Field in the 2017 season opener for both teams.

Mason (0-1) found its offense early in the 100th all-time meeting between the two teams, scoring three runs on three hits in the top of the second inning against UNCW starter Alex Royalty.

Junior Garett Driscoll was hit by a pitch to give the Patriots their first baserunner of the season and sophomore Greg Popatak II followed with a double to right field to put runners on second and third.

Junior Tyler Nelin put Mason up 1-0 when he drove in Driscoll with a sacrifice fly.  With two outs in the inning, sophomore Alejandro Aponte doubled to left, with Popatak crossing the plate to increase the lead to 2-0.  Junior Frank Sturek then singled up the middle, scoring Aponte from second to make the score 3-0.

UNCW (1-0) took advantage of two Mason errors and scored an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the second inning to cut the lead to 3-1 against senior starter Tyler Zombro.  The Seahawks used the long ball in the bottom of the third, belting back-to-back home runs to go ahead 4-3.

The two teams traded runs in the fourth.  Nelin singled, went to second on a throwing error and advanced to third on a pass ball.  Freshman Jared DiCesare then recorded his first collegiate RBI on a ground out, with Nelin racing home from third to even the score 4-4. 

The Seahawks answered with a run of their own in the home half of the inning to go back in front 5-4 and then sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth, scoring four runs on five hits to increase the lead to 9-4. 

Mason batted around in the top of the seventh, taking advantage of three walks and two hit batsmen to score four times to make it a one-run game at 9-8.  Nelin had the only hit of the inning with a two-run double to left-center.

The Patriots nearly tied the game in the seventh when Aponte drove the ball to left field, where UNCW junior Zack Canada raced back and made a diving catch to take away extra bases and end the inning.

The Seahawks, who have won nine straight opening day games, used a double and three singles to plate three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth for the 12-8 final. 

UNCW collected 18 hits in the game and had at least one in every inning except the sixth.  Every player in the starting lineup for the Seahawks had at least one hit.  Eight different players scored at least one run for the Seahawks.
 
Zombro (0-1) allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits over 4.0 innings of work with three strikeouts and one walk. 

Right-hander Riley Stephenson made his Mason debut when he entered the game to start the fifth inning.  Freshman Logan Driscoll made his NCAA debut and singled in the ninth inning to collect his first collegiate hit.

Junior Michael Smith went 2-for-4 with a single, a double and scored a run.  Nelin finished 2-for-3 with a single, a double and three RBI.  Sturek, Aponte, Popatak and DiCesare each knocked in a run for the Patriots.

UNCW senior Kennard McDowell led the Seahawks with three runs batted in, while classmate Casey Golden went 3-for-5 with a RBI and three runs scored.  Junior Brian Mims finished 3-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs.  Junior Nick Feight collected three hits and scored twice.

Royalty (1-0) earned the win for UNCW.  He allowed four runs, three earned over 5.0 innings.  Seahawks junior Austin Magestro retired eight of the 10 batters he faced to pick up the save.

The Patriots had the leadoff hitter reach base seven times in the game, while UNCW had the leadoff man aboard only three times.

Mason continues the Hughes Brothers Challenge tournament on Saturday against Appalachian State with the first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m. at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C.