Box Score
Box score
RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason baseball team scored eight unanswered runs in an 11-3 win over Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday to claim the first game of a three-game series at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.
Mason (16-20, 7-3 A-10) took the lead in the first inning against VCU starter Connor Gillispie.
With one out, junior
Brady Acker walked and sophomore
Logan Driscoll reached on a fielder's choice. Senior
Trevor Kelly then singled to right field to put runners on the corners. Senior
Tyler Nelin and junior
Greg Popatak II followed with back-to-back RBI singles to put the Patriots in front 2-0.
The Patriots have scored first in four of their last five games.
VCU (24-14, 8-5 A-10) responded with two runs in the bottom of the first against Mason starter
Zach Mort to tie the score 2-2.
Mason would go on the score eight unanswered runs, with Mort keeping the Rams off the scoreboard for six straight innings.
In the third inning, Kelly doubled to left field and scored on a two-out single to right field by Popatak to give the Patriots a 3-2 lead.
Kelly collected his second double of the game in the fifth inning and again crossed the plate on a RBI single by Popatak to increase the advantage to 4-2.
The Patriots sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring four runs on four hits against Rams reliever Curtis Bafus.
Graduate student
Frank Sturek walked, Acker reached on an error and Driscoll singled to left to load the bases with no outs. Kelly drove in Sturek with a sacrifice fly and Nelin then singled in Acker to extend the lead to 6-2.
After Popatak walked to load the bases once more, freshman
Daniel Brooks knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, with Driscoll racing home with Mason's seventh run of the night. Junior
Alejandro Aponte then drove in a run with a line drive single to left field to make the score 8-2. Aponte has at least one hit in 10 of his last 12 games.
In the top of the seventh, Acker and Driscoll each walked to start the inning before moving into scoring position on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Kelly continued his big night at the plate with a two-run single up the middle to increase the lead to 10-2.
In the eighth, VCU used a walk and a double to put runners on second and third against Mason freshman
Austin Cabone. Rams sophomore Paul Witt knocked in VCU's final run of the night with a ground out.
Mason tacked on another run in the ninth. Acker drew a walk and Driscoll singled to set the stage for Nelin, who drove in his third run of the night with a single to make it an 11-3 game.
Mort (4-2) allowed two runs on 10 hits over 7.0 innings to earn the win. He struck out seven without a walk and threw a season-high 111 pitches in the game. Mort has allowed just four runs over 32.0 innings (1.12 ERA) with 36 strikeouts and one walk in his four starts against Atlantic 10 opponents this season.
Cabone allowed one run on two hits in 2.0 innings of work in his sixth appearance of the season.
Gillispie (6-2) surrendered four runs on eight hits over 5.0 innings and took the loss. He struck out nine and walked four. Bafus allowed six runs on four hits over 1.0 inning, while sophomore Tanner Winters gave up one run on three hits in 3.0 innings out of the bullpen for the Rams.
Kelly went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. He has at least one hit in 10 of his last 12 games. Nelin was 3-for-5 with three RBI and scored a run. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Popatak finished 3-for-5 with a walk and drove in three runs, Driscoll went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and Acker reached base four times with three walks and also scored three runs.
Driscoll, Kelly, Nelin and Popatak combined to go 12-for-20 with nine RBI and seven runs scored.
Every player in the lineup for the Patriots reached base at least once in the game. Eight players either drove in a run or scored a run for Mason.
The Patriots have won 13 of their last 17 games against the Rams. Mason has won eight of the last 10 games against VCU played in Richmond.
The Patriots and Rams play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.
