EMMITSBURG, Md. – The George Mason baseball team hit a season-high four home runs and scored at least one run in six innings, downing Mount St. Mary's 19-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Straw Family Stadium in Emmitsburg, Md.

It didn't take long for Mason (13-20, 3-3 A-10) to grab the lead for good in the top of the first against Mountaineers starter Josh Little. 

Sophomore Brady Acker began the inning with a one-out double to left field and with two outs, junior Trevor Kelly was hit by a pitch and sophomore Greg Popatak II scratched out an infield single to load the bases.

Junior Tyler Nelin then swung at the first pitch he saw, belting a grand slam over the left field fence to give the Patriots a 4-0 advantage.  Nelin leads the team and is among the leaders in the Atlantic 10 with seven round trippers on the season.

"I was excited to get a good pitch to hit and I wanted to drive in some runs for the team," Nelin said.  "It was great to see everyone hit today.  The pitching was outstanding and we played good defense.  We've been playing good baseball lately but we have run into some tough luck.  We're a good team and we are going to find ways to win."

The Patriots have scored in the opening frame in each of their last two games after going 13 straight without plating a run in the first inning.

Mason extended the lead in the top of the second.  Sophomore Alejandro Aponte led off the inning with a double and after a sacrifice bunt by junior Frank Sturek, junior Michael Smith walked to put runners on first and second.

Acker came to the plate and smashed his fourth home run of the season,  a three-run blast to left to make the score 7-0.

Mount St. Mary's (4-22, 2-8 NEC) responded in the home half of the second, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring three runs on two hits against Mason starter Bryce Nightengale to cut the Patriots lead to 7-3.  Nightengale would go on to record his first NCAA victory.

The Patriots sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third and scored four more times.  Popatak and sophomore Tim Quinn each walked with one out and Aponte was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  

Smith, batting for the third time in the first three innings, then drove in two runs with his seventh double of the season to make it a 9-3 game.  Acker then stepped to the plate for the third time in three innings and knocked in two more runs with a single to left field to make the score 11-3.

In the top of the sixth, Popatak singled and Nelin walked to put runners on first and second with one out.  Quinn drove in his seventh run of the season with a single, with Popatak scoring on the play to give Mason a 12-3 advantage.  Aponte then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, plating Nelin from third to make it a 13-3 game.

Mason batted around and scored five more runs in the seventh inning against Mount St. Mary's reliever Vaughn Parker, who was the fifth of six pitchers used in the game by the Mountaineers.

Smith began the inning with his second walk of the game.  With one out, freshman Logan Driscoll doubled to put runners on second and third.   Kelly reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, with Smith and Driscoll racing home to pad the lead to 15-3.

After Popatak was hit by a pitch, sophomore Jonathan Hansen cleared the bases when he hit the first home run of his collegiate career, belting a pinch-hit, three-run homer to left to put Mason up 18-3. 

"When it left the bat I thought I got it good," Hansen said of his first NCAA home run.  "I watched it a little bit.  A little off the end and high in the air but a home run is a home run.  I'll take them when I can and I can't complain.  Tomorrow we have a big game, but today we did really well hitting the ball."

Mount St. Mary's scored a run in the eighth.  Mason dented the scoreboard one last time in the top of the ninth when freshman John Callahan left the yard for the second time this season, a solo home run for the 19-4 final score.

The 19 runs are the second-most that the Patriots have scored in a game this season.  Mason defeated VMI 21-1 on Feb. 19 in Wilmington, N.C.

Nightengale earned the first win of his collegiate career.  He allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits over 5.0 innings.  He walked two and struck out two.

Freshman Jakob Ryan, sophomore Matthew Yost and junior Saul Aguilera each tossed one scoreless inning in relief.  Junior Garett Driscoll worked the eighth inning for Mason, pitching for the first time in a game as a Patriot.  He allowed a run on one hit with a walk and two strike outs.

Acker went 3-for-5 with a single, double and a home run and drove in five runs.  He finished a triple shy of the cycle.  Nelin was 2-for-2 and reached base all four times at the plate with a grand slam, single and two walks.  He drove in four and scored three runs.

Smith went 1-for-3 with two RBI and scored three runs.  Popatak finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.  Aponte finished the game 2-for-4 with a RBI and scored twice. 

The Patriots collected eight extra-base hits in the game, with four doubles and four home runs.  Every player in the starting lineup reached base at least once.  Seven players drove in at least one run, while 10 players scored at least one run for Mason in the game.

The Patriots are back on the diamond when they host Maryland on Wednesday, April 12 at Spuhler Field.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.