Box score (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The George Mason baseball team fell to The Citadel, 5-4, in the middle game of its series on Saturday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.

Mason (7-14, 0-0 A-10) took the lead in the top of the third against The Citadel (16-6, 0-0 SoCon) freshman starter Fisher Paulsen.

Freshman right fielder Alex Knapp led off with a walk and junior second baseman Brett Stallings followed with a double to center field, with Knapp scoring all the way from first to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

Stallings moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith followed with a walk to put runners on the corners, but Mason couldn't add to the advantage.

The Patriots have scored the first run in seven of their last 11 games.

The Bulldogs sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs on five hits in the home half of the third against Mason graduate student starter Ben Shields to take a 4-1 lead.  The Citadel graduate student first baseman Ryan McCarthy had the big hit, with a two run-home run to left-center.

Mason freshman right-hander Chad Gartland took over in the bottom of the fourth.  The Bulldogs put the first two batters aboard on a fielding error and a walk, before scoring an unearned run on the second Mason error of the inning to make it a 5-1 game.

That would be the only run that the Bulldogs would score against Gartland, who had a strong outing and scattered three singles from the fifth inning through the eighth.

The Patriots loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, with four of the first five batters reaching base against Bulldogs graduate student reliever Devin Beckley.

Graduate student third baseman Danny Hosley led off with a double to left-center.  With one out, freshman designated hitter Tyler Cotten walked and graduate student pinch hitter Kamron Smith singled to center.

Knapp forced in a run with a walk and Stallings plated another with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-3.  Kamron Smith moved to third on a wild pitch and raced home on another pitch that went to the backstop to make it a one-run game at 5-4.

The Patriots had a baserunner in each of the final three innings, but were unable to plate another run.

For the Patriots, Shields (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings and took the loss.  Gartland didn't allow an earned run and just four singles in 5.0 innings of work.

For the Bulldogs, Paulsen (3-1) gave up one run on four hits in 5.0 innings to earn the win.  Beckley allowed three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings and notched his first save of the season.

Stallings went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI, Hosley was 2-for-5 with two doubles and scored a run, and Knapp walked three times, drove in a run and scored a run.

Five of the Patriots eight hits in the game were doubles.  Mason left at least one runner on base in every inning, stranding 10 in the game.

The Patriots and Bulldogs wrap up the series on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Joseph P Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.