• Junior catcher Logan Driscoll went 3-for-4 with three singles.
• Senior shortstop Alejandro Aponte was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
• Sophomore outfielder Cam Reckling finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team fell to Monmouth, 9-3, in the middle game of a three-game series on Saturday afternoon at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Mason (9-7) fell behind in the top of the first inning when Monmouth (4-11) scored a pair of runs against Patriots' freshman starter Nick Zegna.

With one out, junior outfielder J.P. Walsh tripled to right field and scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly.  With two outs, the Hawks used back-to-back doubles to take a 2-0 lead.

Monmouth added a run in the top of the fifth when junior infielder Danny Long led off with a double and scored on a RBI-single by senior outfielder Kyle Norman.

The Patriots made it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs against Hawks sophomore starter Dan Klepchick.

Mason freshman outfielder Jack Fitzgerald doubled, senior shortstop Alejandro Aponte singled and sophomore third baseman Daniel Brooks reached on a throwing error to load the bases with no outs.

Mason freshman second baseman Jared Lyons drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field, with Fitzgerald coasting home from third to cut the Hawks lead to 3-1.

Sophomore Cam Reckling followed with a double to left field, with Aponte racing home to make it a 3-2 game.

With runners on second and third with one out, the Hawks intentionally walked Mason junior catcher Logan Driscoll to load the bases.  Klepchick got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play grounder.

Monmouth batted around and scored five runs on four hits in the top of the eighth inning against three Mason relievers to increase the lead to 8-2.

In the ninth, the Hawks added a run in the top of the inning and the Reckling drove in his second run of the game in the home half of the inning for the 9-3 final.

Zegna (2-1) allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings and took the loss.  Four Mason relievers combined to allow six runs, five earned, on six hits over four innings.

Klepchick (2-1) allowed two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk in 7.0 innings to earn the win.

Driscoll went 3-for-4 with a walk.  He has reached base nine times in 10 at-bats in the first two games of the series.  Reckling was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Aponte finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Patriots and Hawks will play the final game of the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Spuhler Field.