• Senior third baseman Greg Popatak II went 1-for-2 and drove in three runs.
• Junior catcher Logan Driscoll went 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored.
• Sophomore Cam Reckling was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason scored five runs in the seventh inning on the way to a 6-3 win over Manhattan in the first of a three-game series on Saturday at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Mason (7-4) fell behind in the second inning when Manhattan (3-7) took advantage of an error to score the first run of the afternoon.

Jaspers junior designated hitter Dominic Palma led off with a double to right field and scored on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Greg Popatak II to put Manhattan in front 1-0.

In the fifth, Manhattan put runners on first and third with back-to-back one-out singles.  Jaspers graduate student first baseman Shawn Blake then dove in a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice to increase the lead to 2-0.

The Patriots were held without a hit and had just two baserunners over the first five innings against Manhattan starter Ryan Takacs.

Mason dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. 

Sophomore outfielder Cam Reckling led off the inning with Mason's first hit of the game, a single to right-center.  With one out, junior catcher Logan Driscoll collected an infield single and Popatak followed with a walk to load the bases.

Senior first baseman Tim Quinn forced in a run with two outs when he was hit by a pitch to cut the Jaspers lead to 2-1.  The Patriots left the bases loaded in the inning.

Takacs ran into trouble again in the seventh, with Mason loading the bases for the second straight inning.

With one out, senior shortstop Alejandro Aponte walked, Reckling singled and graduate student Mitch Lindheim walked to put a Patriot on every base.

Driscoll drove in a run with an infield single to tie the score and Popatak followed with a three-run double to the gap in right-center to give the Patriots a 5-2 lead.

Mason tacked on another run in the seventh on senior outfielder Bailey Klein's RBI-single to make the score 6-2.

Manhattan plated a run in the eighth on a RBI groundout, but the Jaspers would get no closer.

Junior Jared DiCesare allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits and struck out five with two walks over 6.0 innings in a no-decision.

In his fifth appearance of the season, Mason freshman Stuart Barrett (1-0) earned his first NCAA win.  He surrendered one run on one hit and struck out three with two walks in 2.0 innings.

Junior James Beasley retired the Jaspers in order in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Takacs (0-3), who had a no-hitter through five innings, allowed four runs on three hits and struck out a career-high six batters over a career-best 6.1 innings and took the loss.

Senior Marc Galvan gave up a pair of runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 1.2 innings for Manhattan.

Popatak went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and three RBI.  He leads the team in RBI (13), doubles (4) and walks (11).

Driscoll finished 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored.  He leads the squad in hits (11) and runs scored (12).

The Patriots and Jaspers will wrap up the series on Sunday, with the first game of a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m. at Spuhler Field.