Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team allowed a season-high 19 runs and dropped the middle game of its series at Richmond, 19-4, on Saturday afternoon at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.

Mason (11-14, 0-5 A-10) fell behind Richmond (13-9-1, 2-0 A-10) in the second inning when the Spiders plated a run against Patriots senior starter Brian Marconi.

After back-to-back singles to start the inning, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third.  Richmond junior infielder Justin Cook then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to put the Spiders in front 1-0.

The Patriots responded in the top of the third against Richmond sophomore starter Kent Morrison.

Mason senior infielder Alejandro Aponte reached on an error and with one out senior outfielder Brady Acker reached on a fielder's choice.  The Patriots scored a pair of unearned runs when senior first baseman Tim Quinn doubled off the wall in right center to give Mason a 2-1 lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Spiders sophomore Jordan Schulefand plated a run with a RBI single to make it a 2-2 game.

Richmond took the lead for good when junior outfielder Anthony Forte and graduate student infielder Tyler Plantier hit back-to-back solo home runs in the home half of the fifth to make the score 4-2.

Acker led off the seventh inning with his first home run of the season to cut the lead to 4-3, but the Patriots would get no closer.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Spiders sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs against four Mason pitchers to make the score 17-3.  Richmond freshman infielder Brian Schaub hit a grand slam in the inning.

The Spiders hit four home runs in the game and have hit 10 in the series.

Acker drove in a run in the top of the eighth with a double and the Spiders tacked on two runs in the bottom of the inning for the 19-4 final.

Marconi (1-4) allowed four runs on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks in 5.2 innings and took the loss.  Four Mason relievers combined to surrender 15 runs on nine hits in 2.1 innings of work.

Morrison gave up two unearned runs on four hits in 2.2 innings in a no-decision for the Spiders.  Richmond freshman Brian Craven (1-0) tossed 1.2 hitless innings in relief to earn his first collegiate win.  The Spiders used seven pitchers in the game.

Acker went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored, while Quinn was 1-for-4 and drove in two runs.

The Patriots will look to salvage a game in the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.