Box score (PDF)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team dropped its midweek, non-conference game to Maryland, 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
 
Mason (8-15, 0-0 A-10) freshman starter Britt Yount and Maryland (20-5, 0-0 Big Ten) sophomore starter Logan Ott each kept the game scoreless over the first two innings.
 
The Terrapins took the lead in the top of the third.  Sophomore catcher Luke Shliger led off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and went to third on a ground out.  Maryland junior third baseman Nick Lorusso then grounded out, with Shliger crossing the plate to put the Terrapins in front, 1-0.
 
Mason sophomore right-hander Christian Mracna took over on the mound in the fourth with the bases loaded.  He ended the Maryland threat with a ground out and a fly out to keep it a one-run game.
 
Mracna, who recorded his longest outing of the season, notched three more scoreless innings before turning the game over to senior Matthew Henson.
 
With one out in the top of the eighth, Maryland sophomore shortstop Matt Shaw doubled down the right field line, and sophomore right fielder Troy Schreffler followed with a RBI-double to right to make it 2-0.
 
A batter later, sophomore left fielder Bobby Zmarzlak singled in a run to increase the lead to 3-0.  Patriots senior Mason Posey retired the next two batters with a fly out and a strike out to end the inning.
 
The Patriots dented the scoreboard with one out the home half of the eighth.
 
Freshman shortstop Carsen Pracht singled and stole second.  Junior second baseman Brett Stallings then ripped a single to right to drive in his seventh run in the last four games, with Pracht scoring to cut the lead to 3-1.
 
Mason freshman reliever Jalen Grant walked the first batter in the top of the ninth, but retired the next three to keep the Patriots down only two runs.
 
The Patriots threatened in the bottom of the ninth against Maryland senior closer Sean Heine.
 
With one out, senior first baseman Daniel Brooks was hit by a pitch and senior designated hitter Scott Morgan singled to put runners on first and second.  After a pop out, both runners moved into scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt before pinch-hitter Craig Miles, Jr. drew a walk to load the bases.
 
Pracht ran the count full before grounding to second for the final out of the game.
 
For the Patriots, Yount (0-3) allowed one run on three hits in 3.0 innings.  Freshman Jackson Baird walked three and retired one batter in the fourth inning.  Mracna tossed 3.2 scoreless innings and gave up just one single.  Henson surrendered two runs on three hits and retired one batter, and Posey retired the two batters he faced in the eighth.  Grant pitched a scoreless ninth.
 
For the Terrapins, Ott (1-0) scattered three hits over 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.  Graduate student Nick Robinson tossed two scoreless frames.  Sophomore David Falco gave up one run on three hits in two-thirds of an inning of work.  Heine went 1.1 innings for his second save of the season.
 
Sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith went 2-for-4 and now has at least one hit in seven of his last nine games.  Stallings finished 1-for-4 and drove in the lone run for the Patriots for his team-leading 19th RBI.  He has at least one RBI in each of his last four games.
 
The Patriots play their first Atlantic 10 Conference series of the season this weekend, hosting VCU beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field.