Junior catcher Logan Driscoll went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Sophomore Cam Reckling was 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI.
Freshman outfielder Jack Fitzgerald recorded his first two collegiate hits and drove in his first NCAA run.
Sophomore pitcher Michael Yuille earned his first NCAA win.

Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason sophomore Cam Reckling tied the game with a two-run double in a five-run eighth inning, helping the Patriots to a 10-7 win over Monmouth in the series opener on Friday afternoon at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Mason (9-6) took the lead against Monmouth (3-11) freshman starter Rob Hensey in the bottom of the first.

Junior catcher Logan Driscoll crushed his team-leading fourth home run of the season, a solo blast over the left field fence to put the Patriots in front 1-0.

The Patriots have scored the first run in each of the last four games and six of the last eight.

Mason junior starter Jared DiCesare recorded four strikeouts over the first three innings, but the Hawks broke through in the top of the fourth.

Hawks senior catcher J.D. Anderson led off the inning with a double to left and junior infielder Johnny Zega drove in a run with a one-out double to tie the score, 1-1.

Mason responded in the home half of the fourth, sending eight batters to the plate to re-take the lead.

Senior first baseman Tim Quinn singled and freshman outfielder Jack Fitzgerald followed with his first collegiate hit, a double to left field, to put runners on second and third.

Senior shortstop Alejandro Aponte then jumped on the first pitch he saw and lined a RBI-single to right field to give the Patriots a 2-1 advantage.

After freshman Jared Lyons singled to load the bases, Reckling drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Driscoll knocked in a run with a single to make it a 4-1 game.

Monmouth junior outfielder J.P Walsh made the score 4-2 when he plated a run in the top of the fifth with a RBI-groundout.

After the Hawks leadoff hitter reached on a throwing error in the top of the sixth, Monmouth tied the game on back-to-back RBI singles to make the score 4-4.

The Patriots got the run back in the bottom of the inning against Hawks freshman reliever Nick Houghton.  With two outs, Lyons and Reckling walked and Driscoll followed with a RBI-single through the right side to give the Patriots a 5-4 lead.

Monmouth batted around in the seventh. 

Hawks sophomore infielder Matt Garber doubled and senior outfielder Kyle Norman bunted his way on and stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs.  Monmouth junior catcher Zach Schild and Walsh each drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to put the Hawks ahead, 6-5. 

After the Hawks loaded the bases with a walk and two hit-by-pitch, freshman first baseman Robbie Holmes made it 7-5 with a RBI single.

The Patriots rallied to send 11 batters the plate in the bottom of the eighth.

Aponte reached on a fielding error, sophomore third baseman Daniel Brooks singled and Lyons walked to load the bases against Monmouth senior reliever Ryan Lillie.

Reckling delivered the big hit in the inning, a two-run double to left field, with Aponte and Brooks racing home to tie the score, 7-7.

Driscoll was walked intentionally to load the bases again and with one out.

Senior designated hitter Ryan Tassone walked to force in a run, Quinn plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Fitzgerald drove in a run with a single to put the Patriots in front for good at 10-7.

Mason improved to 5-2 at home, while Monmouth dropped to 3-7 on the road.

DiCesare allowed six runs, four earned, on 10 hits and struck out five without a walk over 6.1 innings in a no-decision.

Sophomore Michael Yuille (1-0) retired the Hawks in order in the eighth to earn his first NCAA victory.

Junior James Beasley closed out the game, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Hensey surrendered four runs on 10 hits in 5.0 innings in a no-decision.  Lillie (1-2) allowed five runs, two earned, on three hits in 1.2 innings and took the loss for the Hawks.

Driscoll went 4-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored, while Reckling was 1-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and scored a run.

Fitzgerald collected his first two collegiate hits, finishing 2-for-5 with a RBI and run scored.  He also picked up his first NCAA RBI and scored his first collegiate run.

Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit for the Patriots.

The Patriots and Hawks will play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.