Box score (PDF)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team rallied to tie the game in the eighth, but fell in 11 innings to William & Mary, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
 
Before the game, the Mason community, family, and former teammates gathered to honor the life of former Mason pitcher Sang Ho Baek, who passed away in June at the age of 20.
 
In a pitchers' duel, Mason (7-11) graduate student starting pitcher Ben Shields tossed four scoreless innings in his Patriots debut.  For William & Mary (7-9), junior starter Casey Green allowed just two singles in seven innings.
 
The Tribe took the lead in the top of the fifth against Mason freshman reliever Chad Gartland.  William & Mary sophomore catcher Nate Goranson led off with a single, and with one out, another single and a walk loaded the bases. 
 
Senior right fielder Matt Thomas drove in Goranson from third base with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Tribe in front, 1-0.
 
Mason senior Mason Posey kept the Tribe off-balance in his outing, retiring the side in order in the seventh and eighth.
 
The Patriots pulled even in the home half of the eighth against Tribe senior reliever Randy Prosperi.
 
Graduate student left fielder Kamron Smith singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Freshman Yogie Hartigan then singled, with Smith moving to third.  Smith was picked off, with Hartigan moving to second on the play.
 
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings knocked in the Patriots lone run of the day with a RBI-single to right field, with Hartigan racing around to tie the game, 1-1.
 
Stallings has at least one hit in five of his last six games.
 
William & Mary threatened in the top of the ninth, loading the bases, but Posey was able to escape the jam by getting a fielder's choice ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 10th, freshman designated hitter Tyler Cotten nearly gave the Patriots a walk-off win.  On an 0-2 pitch, he belted a high fly ball down the left field line, with the dugout and the fans on their feet, before the ball drifted foul beyond the fence.
 
In the top of the 11th inning, Goranson was hit by a pitch by senior Matthew Henson to start the inning.  Goranson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and with two outs, Tribe graduate student second baseman David Hogarth plated the game-winning run with a single up the middle for the 2-1 lead.
 
For the Patriots, Shields scattered three singles in 4.0 innings in his Mason debut.  Gartland allowed one run on three hits in 2.0 innings.  Posey tossed three hitless innings.  Henson (1-1) gave up one run on one hit in 2.0 innings and took the loss.
 
For the Tribe, Green allowed just two singles in 7.0 innings in the no-decision.  Prosperi gave up a run on five hits in 2.1 innings.  Junior Matt Howat (1-1) pitched 1.1 scoreless to earn the win.
 
Freshman shortstop Carsen Pracht went 2-for-4.  Stallings was 1-for-3 with a single and a walk, and drove in his 11th run of the season.  Hartigan finished 1-for-3 and scored the lone run for the Patriots.
 
The Patriots and Tribe will play the final game of the series on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Spuhler Field.