Box Score

• Freshman James Price pitched 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win
• Senior Tyler Nelin went 4-for-5 with a RBI and run scored
• Junior Brady Acker was 3-for-5, drove in a run and scored a run

Box score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – George Mason freshman James Price tossed five scoreless innings as the Patriots defeated James Madison 7-1 on Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va.

Mason (15-20, 6-3 A-10) took the lead for good in the top of the third against Dukes starter Garrett Richards.

Senior Michael Smith led off the inning with a single and graduate student Frank Sturek moved Smith into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.  Junior Brady Acker followed with a single to left field, with Smith scoring to put the Patriots in front 1-0.

After a single by sophomore Logan Driscoll put runners on the corners, senior Trevor Kelly drove in Acker from third with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

The Patriots added to the advantage in the top of the fifth against James Madison reliever Christian Bourne.

Kelly was hit by a pitch and junior Tyler Nelin singled to put runners on first and second with no outs.  With two outs, junior Alejandro Aponte drove in two runs with a double down the right field line and Smith followed with a RBI single to increase the Mason advantage to 5-0.

Mason scored again with two outs in the sixth.  Kelly doubled to right-center and Nelin followed with a single to center, with Kelly crossing the plate to make the score 6-0.

James Madison (20-17, 5-7 CAA) used two singles and took advantage of a wild pitch to score its lone run of the game in the bottom of the sixth against Mason freshman Michael Yuille.  Dukes freshman Josh Jones drove in a run with a RBI single.

Mason junior Greg Popatak II led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Aponte.  With two outs, Sturek doubled to right field with Aponte scoring the final run of the night to extend the Patriots lead to 7-1.

Price (2-0) allowed just four singles and struck out four over 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.  Freshman Austin Cabone, senior Garett Driscoll and senior Ryan Ricci each tossed one scoreless inning.

Richards (0-1) surrendered two runs on five hits in 2.1 innings and took the loss.  Bourne allowed three runs on five hits over 1.2 innings.  The Dukes used seven pitchers in the game.

Nelin went 4-for-5 with four singles, drove in a run and scored a run.  He has at least one hit in each of his last nine games. 

Acker was 3-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, Smith finished 2-for-5 with a RBI and scored a run and Aponte finished 1-for-4 with two RBI.  Aponte has at least one hit in nine of his last 11 games.

The Patriots scored five of their seven runs in the game with two outs.  Mason scored seven runs on 15 hits, while James Madison scored one run on seven hits.

The Patriots continue Atlantic 10 play when they begin a three-game series at Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.