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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The George Mason baseball team dropped the first game of its weekend series to William & Mary, 9-3, on Friday afternoon at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.
 
Mason (7-10) took the lead in the top of the second inning against William & Mary (6-9) senior starter Zach Tsakounis.
 
With one out, graduate student third baseman Danny Hosley scratched out an infield single and moved to second on a passed ball.  After a fly out, graduate student Kamron Smith was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on base.
 
Freshman Brett Ahalt then singled to center, with Hosley racing around from second to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.
 
Ahalt has a hit in seven of his last 10 games, while Hosley has reached base safely in each of his last 10 contests.
 
In the top of the third, the Patriots used the long ball in the to increase the advantage.
 
With two outs, sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith singled to set the table for freshman catcher Connor Dykstra, who belted his team-leading third home run of the season over the left field fence to make it 3-0.
 
Dykstra has at least one hit in seven of his last 10 games, and has reached base safely in 10 straight games.
 
The Tribe would go on to score nine unanswered runs, while freshmen relievers Mike Weidinger and Carter Lovasz combined to toss six scoreless innings, limiting the Patriots just one hit.
 
William & Mary got a run back in the home half of the third against Mason senior starter Jared Lyons.
 
With two outs and Tribe junior designated hitter on first after a fielder's choice, senior right fielder Matt Thomas doubled down the left field line to drive in a run to cut the deficit to 3-1.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Tribe sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs on four hits, including a two-run single by Trotta, to go in front of the Patriots, 5-3.
 
William & Mary took advantage of three walks and a hit batsman in the bottom of the sixth against sophomore reliever Christian Mracna to add a run to make it 6-3.
 
In the home half of the seventh, Mason senior Matthew Henson walked three batters to load the bases, but escaped the jam with a strike out.
 
The Tribe added three runs in the bottom of the eighth against Mason graduate student Diego Barrett with a pair of RBI-singles and a sacrifice fly to account for the 9-3 final.
 
For the Patriots, Lyons (2-2) allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings and took the loss.  Maracna gave up a run in the sixth before giving way to Henson, who tossed 1.1 scoreless innings.  Barrett allowed three runs on three hits.
 
For the Tribe, Tsakounis allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in 3.0 innings in a no-decision.  Weidinger (1-0) pitched three hitless innings to earn his first career win, and Lovasz allowed just one hit in three innings to notch his first collegiate save.
 
The series moves to Spuhler Field for the next two games, with the Patriots hosting the Tribe on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 12:15 p.m., and Sunday with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.