Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

• Bryce Nightengale allowed one run and struck out four over 5.0 innings to earn the win in game one.
• Jared DiCesare tossed 6.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the win in game two.
• Brady Acker went 4-8 with two RBI and three runs scored over two games.

Game One Box score
Game Two Box score

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team swept a doubleheader from Fairfield, claiming game one 7-5 and the nightcap 7-1 on Sunday at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

In game one, Mason (2-8) scored a run in each of the first three innings against Fairfield (1-6) starter Trey McGloughlin.

Junior Brady Acker led off the first inning with a single and senior Tyler Nelin singled to put runners on the corners.  Sophomore Logan Driscoll drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly, with Acker coasting home from third to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, Frank Sturek reached on a fielder's choice and Acker followed with a two-out double to right-center, with Sturek racing all the way around from first to make it a 2-0 game.

The Patriots added a run in the third when junior Bailey Klein drove in his first run of the season with a two-out double to increase the advantage to 3-0.

Mason starter Bryce Nightengale turned in a strong outing, retiring 14 of the first 18 batters he faced in the game.  He didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning.

The Stags took advantage of a pair of walks, three straight wild pitches and a passed ball in the sixth inning to score their first run of the game.  Junior Tim Zeng led off with a single and worked his way around the bases to cut the Mason lead to 3-1.   

After a call to the bullpen, Mason freshman Austin Cabone entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs.  He worked out of the jam with two fly outs and a strikeout.

The Patriots sent seven batters to the plate in the seventh, scoring four runs on five hits to build a 7-1 lead. 

The Stags plated three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to cut the Mason advantage to 7-5, but that's as close as Fairfield would get.  Mason senior Ryan Ricci slammed the door in the ninth.

Nightengale (1-1) allowed one run on four hits over 5.0 innings to earn his first win of the season.  Ricci recorded the final three outs to pick up the first save of his collegiate career.

McLoughlin (0-2) surrendered three runs on six hits in 5.0 innings and suffered the loss. 

Acker went 3-5 with two singles, a double, two RBI and two runs scored.  Driscoll finished with two RBI and scored a run.  Klein was 1-3 with two RBI, while Nelin went 2-4 in the game.

In game two, the Patriots sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning and scored five runs on three hits against Fairfield starter Austin Pope to take a 5-0 lead. 

Driscoll drove in two runs with a single, senior Trevor Kelly and sophomore John Callahan each drove in a run with a single and junior Greg Popatak II plated a run with a sacrifice fly. 

After the Stags scored their only run of the game on a leadoff home run by senior Mitch Williams in the top of the seventh, Mason responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Popatak knocked in two more runs with a single for the 7-1 final.

Mason starter Jared DiCesare (1-2) had an impressive outing.  He scattered six singles and didn't allow a run over 6.0 innings with five strikeouts.  Freshman Daniel Brooks surrendered a run on two hits in one inning of work, while Ricci tossed 2.0 scoreless innings to close the game.

Popatak went 2-3 with a sacrifice fly and drove in three runs.  Driscoll finished 1-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

The Patriots are back on the diamond when they face Towson on Wednesday, March 7 with the first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.