Box Score
Box score (PDF)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots dropped the final game of their Atlantic 10 Conference series to Saint Louis, 8-5, on Sunday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
 
The Patriots took two-of-three in the series from the Billikens.
 
Mason (12-22, 4-5 A-10) and Saint Louis (18-15, 5-4 A-10) remained scoreless going into the third inning.
 
The Billikens scored in the top of the third against Patriots senior starter Jared Lyons.  Junior catcher Cam Redding drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and senior first baseman Kyle Fitzgerald plated another with a single to put the Billikens in front, 2-0.
 
Saint Louis double the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring a run on a wild pitch and another on a ground out to make it a 4-0 game.
 
Billikens junior starter Scott Youngbrandt retired the first 13 Mason batters of the game before junior first baseman South Trimble walked with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
 
With two outs in the inning, graduate student left fielder Kamron Smith doubled to left-center, with Trimble scoring the Patriots first run of the game.  Senior designated hitter Daniel Brooks followed with a RBI-single to right field to trim the lead to 4-2.
 
After three scoreless frames, the two teams went to the ninth, where the Billikens sent nine batters to the plate and scored four runs on two hits against Patriots relievers Christian Mracna and Matthew Henson.
 
Sophomore infielder Dominic Cusumano had the big hit, with a three-run double into the gap in left-center.  The Billikens added a run on an error to build an 8-2 advantage.
 
The Patriots rallied in the bottom of the ninth against Billikens junior reliever Ryan Patel.
 
Sophomore second baseman Brett Stallings led off the inning with his first home run of the season, a blast over the left field fence to make it 8-3.
 
Freshman shortstop Carsen Pracht then doubled, went to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch to cut the advantage to 8-4.  Patel settled down and retired the next two batters. 
 
With two outs, Trimble legged out an infield single, freshman catcher Connor Dykstra singled and Smith walked to load the bases.  With Brooks at the plate, Trimble raced home on the second wild pitch of the inning to pull the Patriots within three runs, 8-5.
 
With the tying run at the plate, Saint Louis summoned junior reliever Grant Fremion from the bullpen and he recorded the final out of the game.
 
For the Patriots, Lyons (4-4) allowed four runs on five hits in 6.0 innings.  Senior Mason Posey tossed a scoreless seventh inning.  Mracna gave up three runs on two hits in 1.1 innings, and Henson allowed was charged with one run on one hit and retired two batters in the ninth.
 
For the Billikens, Youngbrandt (5-1) allowed two runs on two hits in 8.0 innings to earn the win.  Fremion notched his first save of the season.
 
Stallings went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, Smith was 1-for-3 with one RBI and a run scored, and Brooks finished 1-for-4 with one RBI.
 
The Patriots continue their homestand when they host James Madison on Wednesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field.