Box Score Box score

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The George Mason baseball team had two leads against Davidson in the first of the three-game series, but the Wildcats scored two runs in the eighth inning for a 4-3 win at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.

Mason (13-15, 5-2 A-10) took the lead in the second inning against Davidson (19-10, 5-2 A-10) starter Allen Barry.

Senior Trevor Kelly led off the second with his team-leading ninth double of the season and classmate Tyler Nelin followed with a RBI-single into the gap in right-center to put the Patriots in front 1-0.

The Patriots have scored the first run of the game in six of their seven Atlantic 10 contests this season.

Mason junior Alejandro Aponte then doubled the Patriots lead with one swing of the bat in the third.

Aponte led off the inning when he belted his first collegiate home run, smashing a towering blast over the right field fence to make the score 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, Davidson junior Eric Jones hit a leadoff home run off of Mason starter Zach Mort to cut the Patriots advantage to 2-1.

In the home half of the sixth, Jones singled to left with one out and with two outs, Davidson sophomore Ward Coleman singled to center to put runners on the corners.  After Jones was thrown out trying to steal home, sophomore Andrew Born doubled down the third base line with Coleman crossing the plate to tie the score 2-2.

The Patriots took the lead again in the eighth.

Aponte ripped a one-out single to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs, graduate student Frank Sturek worked the count full and walked to put runners on first and second. 

Sophomore Logan Driscoll then swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a grounder to the second baseman, who tried to get the force at second base, but Sturek was safe at second on the play.  Aponte never stopped and crossed the plate to put the Patriots ahead 3-2.

The Wildcats responded and took the lead back against Mason senior Garett Driscoll in the bottom of the eighth.

Sophomore Brett Centracchio led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Jones then lifted a high fly ball to left field that was dropped, with Centracchio scoring on the two-base error to tie the game 3-3.

After advancing to third base on a balk, Jones scored the eventual game-winning run when Coleman hit a ground ball to first base for a fielder's choice with the Patriots looking to make a play at second base.

Mort allowed two runs on six hits over 7.0 innings in a no-decision.  He struck out eight and walked just one.  Garett Driscoll (0-1) was charged with two runs on one hit and took the loss.  Senior Ryan Ricci faced two batters in the eighth.

Barry allowed three runs on five hits over 7.2 innings and didn't figure in the decision for Davidson.  Wildcats junior Casey Sutherland (2-0) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Aponte went 2-for-3 and scored two of Mason's three runs in the game.  His solo homer in the third inning was his first NCAA home run.  Aponte has a four-game hitting streak and has at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 games.

Nelin was 2-for-3 and drove in a run, while Kelly finished 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

The Patriots were limited to one hit over the final five innings of the game.

For the Wildcats, Jones went 2-for-3 with a home run.  He reached base all four times at the plate and scored three of Davidson's four runs.  Centracchio was 2-for-4 with a run scored.   

The Patriots and Wildcats play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.