Box Score Box score

RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason baseball team broke up a no-hit bid in the eighth inning and rallied to score four runs over the last two innings, but dropped the second game of the series to Virginia Commonwealth University 6-4 on Saturday at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.

Mason (16-21, 7-4 A-10) fell behind in the third inning when the Rams got on the board with a pair of runs against starter Bryce Nightengale.

VCU (25-14, 9-5 A-10) freshman Hogan Brown put the Rams in front 1-0 with a RBI single up the middle.  Brown would later score when sophomore Paul Witt singled through the left side to make the score 2-0.

In the sixth, VCU senior Mitchel Lacey led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Rams sophomore Brett Willett then singled to drive in a run to extend the lead to 3-0.  After a Mason pitching change, the Rams added a run against Timothy Turner with a ground out for a 4-0 advantage.

With one out in the seventh, Lacey reached on a fielder's choice and scored from first when sophomore Steven Carpenter doubled off the wall in left field to give the Rams a 5-0 lead.

The Patriots rallied with three runs in the eighth.

With one out, freshman Daniel Brooks walked and junior Alejandro Aponte broke up Thompson's bid for the no-hitter with a single to right field. 

Senior Michael Smith then hit a towering fly ball to right field that bounced off the top of the wall for a triple, with Brooks and Aponte scoring to cut the lead to 5-2.  Smith crossed the plate on a ground out by graduate student Frank Sturek to make the score 5-3.

The Rams tacked on a run in the home half of the eighth.  Sophomore Josh Simon was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 6-3.

Mason sophomore Logan Driscoll and senior Trevor Kelly began the ninth with back-to-back singles against Rams closer Mac McCarty.  After advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch, Driscoll raced home on the second wild pitch of the inning to make it 6-4.  The Patriots brought the tying run to the plate, but McCarty ended the game with a ground out.

Nightengale (3-4) allowed four runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings and took the loss.  Turner gave up one run on two hits over 1.2 innings, freshman Michael Yuille allowed one run on one hit and senior Garett Driscoll retired the two batters he faced in the eighth.

Thompson (5-1) took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.  He allowed three runs on two hits over 8.0 innings to earn the win.  McCarty surrendered a run in the ninth and picked up his conference-leading 14th save of the season.

Smith went 1-for-2 with his second triple of the season and drove in two runs, while Aponte and Logan Driscoll each finished 1-for-4 with a run scored.

The Patriots and Rams will play the final game of the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.