Box score (PDF)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots pulled to within a run in the ninth inning but dropped the first game of their series to Fordham, 11-10, on Friday at Spuhler Field.
 
Mason (12-24, 4-6 A-10) fell behind Fordham (9-25, 4-6 A-10) when the Rams plated at pair of runs in the first inning against Patriots freshman starter Chad Gartland.
 
Fordham freshman Sebastian Mexico drove in a run with a double and junior first baseman Will Findlay knocked in another with a fielder's choice ground out to put the Rams in front, 2-0.
 
The Rams threatened again in the top of the third, loading the bases with one out on three singles.  Gartland slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts to wiggle out of the jam.  Gartland retired 10 of the final 13 batters he faced from the third through the sixth inning, with five strikeouts.
 
The Patriots sent nine batters to the plate in the home half of the third and took the lead.
 
Freshman center fielder Alex Knapp led off the frame with a solo home run to straight-away center field off Rams freshman reliever Anthony Scarlata to put Mason on the board.  It was Knapp's second home run of the season.
 
The Patriots have hit nine home runs in their last 12 games.
 
With one out, freshman shortstop Carsen Pracht singled and junior South Trimble followed with his first triple of the season to tie the score, 2-2.
 
Freshman right fielder Brett Ahalt was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners.  Graduate student third baseman Danny Hosley then knocked in Trimble from third with a single to left to put the Patriots in front for the first time, 3-2.
 
Graduate student left fielder Kamron Smith drew a walk to keep the inning going before the Rams made the call to the bullpen for graduate student reliever Joseph Quintal.
 
Mason freshman catcher Connor Dykstra then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to double the lead to 4-2.
 
The Patriots added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth against Quintal and freshman reliever Cian Sahler.
 
Trimble led off with a single and with one out, Hosley singled to put runners on the corners.  Smith followed with a base knock to right field, with Trimble coasting home to make it 5-2.
 
After Dykstra was hit by a pitch for the team-leading 14th time to load the bases, freshman designated hitter Nick Morgan drove in his first collegiate RBI with a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 6-2.
 
Fordham put together a big inning, sending 14 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh and scoring nine runs on five hits against three Mason pitchers to take an 11-6 lead in the game.
 
The Patriots responded in the bottom of the eighth. 
 
Junior second baseman Brett Stallings led off with a single and scored on Trimble's second triple of the game.  Ahalt then beat out an infield single, with Trimble scrambling across the plate to trim the Rams advantage to 11-8.
 
Hosley kept the line moving when he ripped his second double of the game into the gap in right-center, with Ahalt scoring on the play to make the score 11-9. 
 
The Rams brought in their closer, junior Ben Kovel, who recorded the final out of the inning.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Dykstra led off with a single before Kovel struck out the next two batters.  Dykstra stole second and scored on a single by Stallings to make it a one-run game, 11-10. 
 
With the tying run on first, Kovel struck out Pracht to preserve the first road win of the season for the Rams.
 
For the Patriots, Gartland allowed two runs on eight hits in 6.0 innings.  Senior Jared Lyons (4-5) gave up five runs on three hits and retired one batter in the seventh.  Senior Mason Posey surrendered four runs, one earned, on two hits and retired one batter in the seventh. 
 
Senior Hugh O'Hara retired two batters and walked three in his outing, while classmate Matthew Henson tossed 1.2 scoreless innings.
 
For the Rams, sophomore starter Trey Maeker pitched 2.0 hitless innings.  Scarlate allowed four runs on four hits and retired one batter.  Quintal gave up two runs on three hits in 2.1 innings.  Sahler (1-1) surrendered three runs on five hits in 3.0 innings and earned the win, while Kovel notched his fourth save of the season.
 
Trimble went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored, Hosley was 3-for-5 with two RBI and scored a run and both Ahalt and Stallings each finished with two hits. 
 
The Patriots and Rams play the middle game of the series on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.