Box Score Box score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The George Mason baseball team scored six runs in the first inning against No. 13 Louisville on Sunday, but the Cardinals came back to earn a 15-8 win over the Patriots in the Charleston Crab House Challenge at Joseph Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, S.C.

Mason (0-3) started quickly as the first four batters of the game reached base in the bottom of the first against Louisville starter Liam Jenkins.  

Brady Acker led off with a walk, Logan Driscoll singled and Trevor Kelly walked to load the bases.  Tim Quinn then drew a walk to force in a run, with Acker touching the plate to put the Patriots up 1-0.  Tyler Nelin added to the lead when he drove in Driscoll with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

Mason freshman Scott Morgan provided the big hit in the inning, belting a three-run home run over the right field fence to increase the Patriots advantage to 5-0.  For Morgan, the round tripper and the three RBI were the first of his collegiate career.

After Alejandro Aponte singled with two outs, Michael Smith doubled to right field with Aponte racing all the way around to score Mason's sixth run of the inning.

Louisville (3-0) responded in the top of the second, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five runs on four hits against Mason starter Brian Marconi to cut the Patriots lead to 6-5.

The Patriots added a run in the bottom of the third.  With one out, Aponte walked and Driscoll provided a two-out RBI single to pad the Mason advantage to 7-5.

Louisville would score single runs in the fourth and the sixth to make it a brand new ballgame at 7-7.

The Cardinals scored four runs against Mason reliever Timothy Turner in the seventh to take an 11-7 lead.  Louisville collected three hits and took advantage of two Mason errors in the inning.  The Cardinals then tacked on two runs in each of the final two innings to put the game out of reach at 15-7.

The Patriots loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with a double by Driscoll and walks to Kelly and Nelin.  Morgan then drove in Driscoll with a sacrifice fly for his fourth RBI of the day. 

Marconi allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings of work in the no decision.  Turner (0-1) allowed four runs in the seventh and suffered the loss in his first appearance of the season.

Saul Aguilera allowed one run on one hit in 1.1 innings in his first outing of the year.  Jakob Ryan struck out the lone batter he faced to end the eighth inning in his first action of the season.

Freshmen Ryan Miles and Mason O'Mara made their collegiate debuts as the Patriots used seven pitchers in the contest.

For the Cardinals, Jenkins allowed six runs on five hits in the first inning.  Bobby Miller (1-0) allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings for Louisville to pick up the win.  The Cardinals bullpen surrendered just three hits to the Patriots over the last seven innings.  Five Louisville pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts.

Devin Mann went 2-for-4 with three RBI and scored two runs.  Drew Campbell reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and four runs scored.  Every player in the starting lineup for Louisville scored at least one run, while seven players drove in at least one run in the game.

Driscoll went 4-for-5 with three singles, a double, RBI and two runs scored.  Morgan finished 1-for-3 with four RBI, while Aponte was 1-for-2 with two walks and scored twice. 

Eight players in the starting lineup reached base at least once for the Patriots.  Seven different players scored at least one run and five players drove in a run for Mason in the game.

The Patriots are back in action when then begin a four-game series against Butler on Friday, Feb. 23 in Lexington, S.C.  The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Lexington County Baseball Stadium.