Box score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The George Mason baseball team fell to No. 10 East Carolina, 11-3, in the first game of the three-game series on Friday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, N.C.

After two scoreless innings Mason (11-10) took the lead in the top of the third against East Carolina (17-5) sophomore starter Trey Yesavage.

Sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra led off the top of the third with a solo home run over the left field fence to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.  It was his second home run in the last five games.

The Pirates pulled even in the home half of the third against Mason graduate student starter Ben Shields.  Sophomore right fielder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart hit a two-out, solo home run to right field to make it a 1-1 game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Jenkins-Cowart drove in a run with a two-out single to give the Pirates their first lead of the night, 2-1.

The Patriots tied the game in the top of the sixth.   With two outs, senior third baseman South Trimble walked and senior second baseman Brett Stallings singled to put runners on the corners.  Trimble then raced home on a wild pitch to even the score, 2-2.

ECU broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth.  The Pirates scored five runs on one hit, three walks and two hit by pitch against Shields and freshman reliever Owen Stewart to build a 7-2 advantage.  Sophomore designated hitter Ryan McCrystal had the lone hit in the inning with a double with the bases loaded to drive in three runs.

In the top of the seventh, Mason freshman James Quinn-Irons singled and graduate student Ryan Archibald walked to start the inning.  After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Dykstra plated Quinn-Irons with a ground out to make it 7-3.

The Pirates scored two runs in the seventh against Mason graduate student Kyle Smith and two runs in the eighth against graduate student Nolan Lamere for the 11-3 final score.

For the Patriots, Shields (4-1) allowed seven runs on six hits in 5.1 innings and took the loss.  Shields retired two batters in the sixth.  Smith gave up two runs and retired one batter in the seventh.  Lamere surrendered two runs on four hits and recorded two outs in the seventh.  Sophomore Britt Yount recorded the final three outs of the game.

For the Pirates, Yesavage (4-0) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out 11 batters to earn the win.  Junior Willie Lumpkin and classmate Danny Beal each tossed one scoreless inning.

Dykstra hit his second home run of the season and drove in a pair of runs, while Quinn-Irons went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

The Patriots and Pirates play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. at Clark-LeClair Stadium.