• Junior catcher Bailey Klein went 4-for-5, drove in a run and scored a run.
• Senior third baseman Greg Popatak II hit his third home run of the season.
• Senior starter Brian Marconi pitched a season-high eight innings.

Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team allowed three runs in the tenth inning and dropped the series opener against Fordham, 6-3, on Friday afternoon at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Mason (18-27, 4-12 A-10) took the lead over Fordham (28-20, 9-7 A-10) in the bottom of the first against Rams sophomore starter Matt Mikulski.

With one out, Mason senior outfielder Brady Acker just missed a home run and doubled off the wall in left field.  Junior catcher Bailey Klein delivered a two-out RBI-double off the right field wall to put the Patriots in front 1-0.

Fordham loaded the bases with two singles and a walk in the top of the second against Mason senior starter Brian Marconi.  Rams junior center fielder Billy Godrick knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to tie the game, 1-1.

In the home half of the third, Klein scratched out and infield single with two outs.  Mason senior third baseman Greg Popatak II then belted his third home run of the season, connecting for a two-run blast to right field to make the score 3-1.

The Rams took advantage of two walks, a wild pitch and a throwing error in the top of the fifth to plate a pair of runs to tie the game 3-3.

The two team's remained tied as the game went into extra innings, where Fordham took the lead for the first time in the game in the tenth against Mason freshman Nick Zegna. 

Rams sophomore second baseman C.J. Vasquez led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Sophomore shortstop Jack MacKenzie followed with a double off the wall in left field to give the Rams a 4-3 advantage.

The Rams added a run on a sacrifice fly and another on a single to increase the lead to 6-3.

Marconi allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits over a season-high eight innings in a no-decision for the Patriots.  Zegna (2-4) surrendered three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings and took the loss.

Mikulski allowed three runs on seven hits and tied his career-high for strikeouts with 10 over 6.0 innings in a no-decision for the Rams.  Senior reliever Anthony Zimmerman pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while junior reliever Kyle Martin (4-2) tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to pick up the win.

Klein went 4-for-5 with a double and three singles, Popatak hit his third home run of the season and sophomore second baseman Daniel Brooks finished 1-for-3 with a walk.

The Patriots scored all three of their runs in the game with two outs.

With inclement weather in the forecast for Sunday, the Patriots and Rams will play a doubleheader on Saturday with the first pitch for game one scheduled for noon at Spuhler Field.