Box Score Game One (PDF)
Box Score Game Two (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team split a doubleheader against Saint Louis in Atlantic 10 Conference play on Friday at Spuhler Field.

The Patriots scored five runs in the fourth inning in game one for a 7-3 victory, while the Billikens jumped out to a big lead and held on for a 6-4 win in game two.

GAME ONE

Saint Louis (8-20, 0-1 A-10) took the lead in the top of the third against Mason (8-12, 1-0 A-10) junior starter Jared Lyons.

With one out, Billikens freshman Tyler Fogarty beat out an infield single.  He stole second, when to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild pitch to put Saint Louis in front 1-0.

The Patriots responded in the bottom of the third against Billikens sophomore starter Scott Youngbrandt.  Mason junior shortstop Peter Nielsen led off and reached on a throwing error.  With one out, freshman center fielder Jordan Smith tripled into the gap in right-center to drive in the tying run.

Sophomore third baseman South Trimble then plated Smith from third with a ground out to make it 2-1 Patriots.

In the top of the fourth, Saint Louis sophomore catcher Cam Redding was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  The next two Billikens batters reached on errors to load the bases.  Junior center fielder Matt Turino then reached on a throwing error, with Redding scoring on the play to tie the score, 2-2.

With one out, Fogarty knocked in a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice to make it a 3-2 game.

The Patriots broke the game open in the home half of the fifth.

Senior designated hitter Scott Morgan led off with a walk and moved all the way to third on two wild pitches.  Senior right fielder Bailey Klein singled through the left side, with Morgan coasting home to even the score, 3-3.

Graduate student catcher Kyle Hayes moved Klein to second with a perfect sacrifice bunt, and graduate student first baseman Ryan Stoudemire drove in the go-ahead run when he hit a ground rule double that bounced over the center field fence to give Mason a 4-3 advantage.

The Patriots would then string together three two-out hits.

Senior second baseman Daniel Brooks knocked in a run with a double, Smith had a RBI single, and Trimble drove in a run with a double to extend the lead to 7-3.

For the Patriots, Lyons (3-1) didn't allow an earned run in the game.  He allowed just four singles and struck out eight with three walks in the complete game win.

For the Billikens, Youngbrandt (2-4) allowed seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in 3.2 innings and took the loss.  Senior Charlie Sheehan pitched 1.1 scoreless and freshman Thomas Kane tossed one scoreless frame.

Klein went 3-for-4 with a double and RBI.  Smith was 2-for-3, including his second triple of the season, two RBI and two runs scored.  Trimble drove in a pair of runs.

GAME TWO

Saint Louis (9-20, 1-1 A-10) took the lead in the first inning against Mason (8-13, 1-1 A-10) redshirt freshman starter Kieran Versaw-Barnes.

After a leadoff triple by sophomore second baseman Colten Schild, Redding plated a run with a one-out sacrifice fly to put the Billikens in front 1-0.

Saint Louis sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third and scored four runs on four hits to increase the lead to 5-0.  Junior third baseman Kyle Fitzgerald drove in two runs with a double and freshman center fielder Colin Bergmann knocked in two runs with a triple in the inning.

The game was then halted for a weather delay that lasted 92 minutes.

Billikens junior Colin Townsend and Patriots junior Mason Posey took over on the mound when play resumed. 

Saint Louis tacked on a run in the top of the fourth when Bergmann led off with a triple and scored on Schild's RBI-double to make it 6-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Trimble singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Morgan to put the Patriots on the scoreboard.

With one out in the home half of the sixth, Stoudemire singled and Brooks and sophomore shortstop Brett Stallings both walked to load the bases.  Smith then drove in a pair of runs with a single to cut the Billikens lead to 6-3. 

Trimble drove in the final run of the game with a single to right field to make it 6-4, but the Patriots stranded the tying runs on base when sophomore reliever Ryan Patel posted back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

For the Patriots, Versaw-Barnes (1-3) allowed five runs on five hits in 3.0 innings and took the loss.  Posey gave up one run on two hits in one inning of work.  Junior Matthew Henson tossed two hitless innings and classmate Nick Zegna retired the side in order in the seventh.

For the Billikens, senior Mark Finkelnberg allowed two hits in 2.0 innings in a no-decision.  Townsend (1-0) surrendered three runs on four hits in 3.1 innings and earned his first win of the season.  Patel allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings.

Trimble went 3-for-3 with a RBI and scored a run, while Smith knocked in a pair of runs in the game.

The Patriots and Billikens play the third game of the series on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.