• Senior Greg Popatak II went 2-for-3 with three walks and two RBI.
• Senior starting pitcher Brian Marconi tossed five innings to earn the win.
• Redshirt sophomore Aaron Yurko was 1-for-3 with three walks and four RBI.

Box score (PDF)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The George Mason baseball team won its third straight game to start the season, downing Villanova, 12-5, on Sunday at the Sunshine State Classic in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Patriots have started 3-0 for the first time since the 2014 season, the programs first in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Mason (3-0) got off to a fast start in the top of the first against Villanova (0-3) freshman pitcher Gordon Graceffo.

Redshirt senior outfield Brady Acker led off the game with a walk and sophomore infielder Daniel Brooks reached on an error.  After a fielder's choice, senior third baseman Greg Popatak II singled up the middle, with Acker crossing the plate to put the Patriots up 1-0.

Mason scored the first run in each of its first three games.

Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Aaron Yurko then delivered a two-run double to left field in his first Mason at-bat to make the score 3-0.

The inning continued as senior first baseman Tim Quinn walked and sophomore outfielder Scott Morgan singled to load the bases.  Sophomore outfielder Cam Reckling grounded into a fielder's choice, with Yurko racing home to increase the lead to 4-0.

The Patriots have scored 10 runs in the first inning over the last two games.

Mason senior starting pitcher Brian Marconi allowed just one hit over the first three innings, retiring eight on the first 10 batters he faced in the game.

Villanova started the bottom of the fourth with three straight singles to load the bases.  Wildcats junior outfielder Tyler Bruno drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and freshman infielder Pat O'Neill plated another with a RBI single to center field to cut the Mason advantage to 4-2.

In the top of the fifth, junior catcher Logan Driscoll reached on a throwing error and Popatak singled to start the inning.  The Wildcats made a pitching change and brought in freshman right-hander Nick LoRusso.

Yurko drew a walk to load the bases and Quinn followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, with Driscoll rumbling home to give Mason a three-run edge at 5-2.

Villanova plated a run in the bottom of the fifth on LoRusso's RBI double, a grounder that hit the third base bag and bounced down the line and allowed freshman Dylan McNary, who had singled, to score to make it a 5-3 game.

The Patriots summoned freshman pitcher Mason Posey, who made his NCAA debut when he entered the game in the sixth.

The Wildcats made it a one-run game when LoRusso drove in his second run of the day with a single in the bottom of the seventh.

Patriots freshman Jared Lyons made his collegiate pitching debut and struck out four over the final two innings.

Mason broke the game open with seven runs in the last two innings.

The Patriots sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth, scoring four runs on four hits to open up a 9-4 lead.  Brooks had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double to right field.

Mason sent nine batters to the plate in the ninth and took advantage of four walks and a fielding error to score three runs to make it 12-4.

The Patriots loaded the bases four times in the game.

Villanova scored a run in the bottom of the ninth for the 12-5 final.

Marconi (1-0) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with one strikeout and two walks over five innings to earn the win in his first start of the season.

Posey allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts and two walks in two innings, while Lyons gave up one run on two hits and struck out four with one walk over two innings of work.

For Villanova, Graceffo surrendered five runs (three earned) on five hits and took the loss.  LoRusso allowed four runs on three hits in 3.1 innings and junior Zach Lutner gave up three runs on two hits in an inning of work.

Popatak went 2-for-3 with three walks, two RBI and a run scored.  He drove in seven runs in three games at the Sunshine State Classic.

Senior infielder Alejandro Aponte went 2-for-5 and scored two runs.  Acker walked three times and scored three runs, while Yurko was 1-for-3 with three walks and four RBI.

Every player in the Mason lineup reached base at least once and every player either drove in a run or scored a run.

The Patriots scored 12 runs on 10 hits, while the Wildcats scored five runs on 11 hits.  Over the first three games, the Patriots have scored 28 runs and allowed only 11 against.  Mason starters went at least five innings in every game. 

The Patriots are back on the road for a three-game series against Winthrop Feb. 22-24 in Rock Hill, S.C.