BALTIMORE, Md. – The George Mason baseball team allowed three runs in the first three innings and suffered a 4-2 loss to UMBC on Wednesday night at Alumni Field in Baltimore, Md.

Mason (9-15, 2-1 A-10) fell behind in the bottom of the first when UMBC scored two runs against starter Brock Hunter.  Senior Andrew Casali led off with a single and with one out, senior Hunter Dolshun singled to put runners on first and second.

After UMBC junior Jamie Switalski grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, Dolshun moved to third and Switalski to second on a passed ball.  On the next pitch, another passed ball allowed Dolshun to race home to put the Retrievers up 1-0.

UMBC increased the lead to 2-0 when freshman Dalton Stewart doubled to right-center, with Switalski crossing the plate.

The Retrievers added another run in the third against Mason freshman Jakob Ryan.  The Retrievers used two walks and a single to load the bases with no outs, then scored a run on a double play groundout to make the score 3-0.

The Patriots got back in the game in the fifth inning.  Freshman John Callahan collected a one out single and sophomore Alejandro Aponte followed with a triple to center, with Callahan racing around to score and cut the lead to 3-1.

Mason made it a one-run game when sophomore Michael Smith knocked in a run with a two-out single through the right side, with Aponte coasting home to make it a 3-2 game.

UMBC added a run in the home half of the fifth when Dolshun hit a solo home run over the left field fence off Tyler Tobin to put the Retrievers ahead 4-2. 

The Patriots used seven pitchers in the game.  Hunter (1-3) allowed two runs on three hits in one inning in the loss.  Junior Ryan Ricci and classmate Saul Aguilera each tossed one scoreless inning.  Senior Tyler Kardas didn't allow a run over 1.2 innings of work, while freshman Jared DiCesare pitched in the seventh and eighth innings, retiring four of the five batters he faced.

Smith went 2-for-3 and drove in a run.  He now has a six game hitting streak.  Aponte was 1-for-3 with his first triple of the season, drove in a run and scored a run.  He has at least one hit in three straight games.  Callahan finished 1-for-4 with a run scored for Mason.

The Patriots are back in action this weekend with a three-game series against Georgetown, with the first game Friday in Bethesda, Md.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.