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DAYTON, Ohio. – The George Mason baseball team built a lead and held on for a 7-6 win over Dayton in the first game of the series on Friday at Day Air Ballpark in Dayton, Ohio.

Mason (9-15, 2-3 A-10) fell behind in the bottom of the first when Dayton (11-23, 1-4 A-10) plated a run against Patriots junior starter Jared Lyons.

Dayton junior second baseman Mariano Ricciardi led off with a walk, and with two outs, scored on a single by junior third baseman Riley Tirotta to put the Flyers in front, 1-0.

The Patriots responded in the top of the third against Flyers senior starter Hunter Wolfe.

Mason second baseman Daniel Brooks led off with a walk and shortstop Brett Stallings doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third.  Patriots left fielder South Trimble then walked to load the bases.

With one out, right fielder Cam Reckling drove in a run with a single to tie the game, 1-1.

Mason designated hitter Bailey Klein followed with a single through the left side, with Stallings and Trimble racing home to give the Patriots a 3-1 lead.

The Flyers made it a one-run game in the home half of the sixth.  Junior designated hitter Marcos Pujols drew a one-out walk and Tirotta followed with a double.  Pujols would score on a wild pitch to make it 3-2.

Mason put together another big inning in the top of the seventh.

Graduate student first baseman Ryan Stoudemire walked to start the inning and Brooks singled.  After a sacrifice bunt, Trimble drove in a run with a fielder's choice to extend the Mason advantage to 4-2.

After a Dayton pitching change, freshman outfielder Jordan Smith knocked in two runs with a triple to center to make the score 6-2.  Reckling then dropped down a bunt, with Smith scoring on the play, to extend the lead to 7-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Pujols hit a three-run home run and the Flyers also scored a run on an error to make it a one-run game again, 7-6.

Mason junior reliever Nick Zegna retired the final seven Flyers batters of the game.

For the Patriots, Lyons (4-1) allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits in 6.2 innings to earn the win.  He struck out a season-high 11 batters.  Zegna gave up two runs on one hit in 2.1 innings.

For the Flyers, Wolfe (3-4) allowed six runs on six hits in 6.1 innings and took the loss.  Junior Bryce Hellgeth gave up one run on two hits in 2.2 innings.

Smith, Reckling and Klein each drove in two runs, while Trimble and Brooks each scored twice.  The top four in the order drove in all seven runs for the Patriots.

The Patriots and Flyers play a doubleheader on Saturday at Woerner Field, with the first pitch for game one scheduled for 12 p.m.  Both games will be seven innings.