Box score (PDF)

FARMVILLE, Va. – The George Mason baseball team dropped its midweek road game against Longwood, 9-8, with the Lancers scoring with winning run in the ninth on Tuesday night at Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, Va.

Mason (10-21, 2-4 A-10) took the lead against Longwood (16-18, 7-2 Big South) junior starter Cole Taylor.

Junior second baseman Brett Stallings started the frame when he was hit by a pitch and went to second on a balk.  With one out, sophomore center fielder Jordan Smith drew a walk.  After both players moved up a base on a passed ball, freshman left fielder Brett Ahalt delivered a two-run single up the middle to put the Patriots in front, 2-0.

Junior first baseman South Trimble kept the inning going with a single to put runners on the corners.  Trimble stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position for graduate student designated hitter Kamron Smith, who drove in two runs with a single to left field to make it a 4-0 game.

The Patriots have scored four runs in the first inning in two of their last three games.

The Lancers responded in the bottom of the first against Mason senior starter Jared Lyons.  Junior first baseman Hunter Gilliam and sophomore designated hitter Jack Schnell each hit back-to-back solo home run over the left field fence to cut the advantage to 4-2.

In the top of the third, the Patriots got the two runs back against Lancers junior Noah Eaker. 

Ahalt led off with a triple and cruised home on a sacrifice fly by Trimble to make the score 5-2.  With one out, graduate student third baseman Danny Hosley beat out an infield single and freshman catcher Tyler Cotten reached on an error, with Hosley racing all the way around to score to extend the lead to 6-2.

Longwood would go on to score six unanswered runs over two innings.

In the home half of the fourth, Schnell drew a one-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch.  Junior shortstop Gregory Ryan also walked, and Schnell went to third on a second wild pitch in the inning.  Sophomore third baseman Dylan Wilkenson followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the lead to 6-3.

The Lancers sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and scored five runs on one hit and took advantage of seven walks against three Mason relievers to take the lead for the first time in the game, 8-6.

The Patriots evened the score in the top of the seventh against Longwood freshman Kevin Gunn.  With one out, Jordan Smith and Ahalt both singled and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch.  Trimble plated a run with a ground out and Hosley knocked in another with a double down the left field line to tie the game, 8-8.

The Patriots put runners on the corners in the top of the ninth but were turned away by Lancers junior reliever J.R. Parrish.

With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Keondre Shelton singled to right field off of Mason sophomore Christian Mracna to drive in the winning run for the walk-off 9-8 victory.

For the Patriots, Lyons allowed three runs on two hits in 4.0 innings.  In the fifth inning, Jackson Baird gave up three runs on one hit and senior Matthew Henson surrendered two runs and retired two batters.  Senior Mason Posey tossed 1.1 scoreless and classmate Hugh O'Hara pitched a hitless seventh inning.  Mracna (0-4) gave up one run on one hit in 1.2 innings and took the loss.

For the Lancers, Taylor allowed four runs on three hits and retired just one batter in the first.  Eaker surrendered two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.  Gunn gave up two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings.  Junior Trey Tiffany tossed 1.1 scoreless and Parrish (1-1) pitched the ninth to earn the win.

Ahalt went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, Trimble was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored, and Hosley finished 3-for-5 with a RBI and run scored.

The Patriots host Saint Louis in Atlantic 10 action beginning Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field.