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ARLINGTON, Va. – Sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra hit a pair of home runs and drove in four to lead the Patriots to an 8-7 comeback win over George Washington on Friday afternoon at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Va.
 
The Patriots scored three runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to erase a 7-3 deficit.
 
Graduate student Nolan Lamere struck out a season-high five batters over 2.2 innings and improved to 3-0 on the season.
 
Junior Christian Mracna retired the Colonials in order in the ninth to notch his fourth save of the season, tied for second-most in the Atlantic 10.
 
Mason (25-22, 10-8 A10) took the lead against George Washington (18-32, 8-10 A10) junior starter Logan Koester in the top of the first inning.
 
Senior designated hitter South Trimble led off with a double to left and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.  Freshman left fielder James Quinn-Irons then drove in his 32nd run of the season to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.
 
Dykstra followed with a double to left and sophomore first baseman Reece Woody singled to shortstop.  Woody advanced to second on an error, and Dykstra scored on the fielder's choice to make it a 2-0 game.
 
The Colonials sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs against Mason graduate student starter Ben Shields in the bottom of the second.
 
With one out, George Washington graduate student first baseman Michael Kohn walked and senior third baseman Robby Wacker doubled down the left field line to put a pair of runners in scoring position.
 
After graduate student second baseman Noah Levine walked to load the bases, sophomore center fielder Sam Gates drove in two runs with a single through the right side of the infield to tie the game.
 
Junior shortstop Bryan Belo then singled to right-center to put the Colonials ahead, 3-2.
 
In the home half of the third, George Washington added to the lead when Wacker sent a 2-run double into the gap in left-center to make the score 5-2.
 
Mason graduate student reliever Kyle Smith entered the game and recorded the final two outs of the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Kohn hit a two-out solo home run to right-center, his 10th of the season, to increase the Colonials advantage to 6-2.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth.  Dykstra got the run back with one swing of the bat with a leadoff home run in the top of the inning.  His team-leading seventh homer of the season made it a 6-3 game.  Belo then drove in his second run of the game with a double to push the lead back to four runs.
 
Mason graduate student Nolan Lamere entered the game in the sixth and recorded the final two outs.  He tossed 2.2 hitless innings to keep the Colonials off the board.
 
The Patriots sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the eighth and scored three runs to get back in the game.
 
Dykstra hit a two-run home run to left-center off Colonials graduate student reliever Austin Odell to pull the Patriots within two runs, 7-5.
 
Woody singled and after George Washington made the call to the bullpen for senior Michael Foltz, Patriots senior pinch hitter Craig Miles singled to put runners on first and second.  Woody would score from second on a throwing error to make it a one-run game at 7-6.
 
The Patriots rallied in the ninth against Colonials freshman reliever Max Haug.  Timble led off with a walk, junior right fielder Derek Wood singled and Quinn-Irons was issued a free pass to load the bases with no outs.
 
Dykstra then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, with Trimble coasting home to tie the score, 7-7.  Woody drove in the game-winning run with a ground out, with Wood racing home to put the Patriots ahead 8-7.
 
For the Patriots, Shields (6-4) allowed five runs on five hits in 2.1 innings and took the loss.  Kyle Smith gave up two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings.  Lamere (3-0) fanned five in 2.2 hitless innings to earn the win and Mracna picked up his fourth save of the season.
 
For the Colonials, Koester (6-4) allowed three runs on five hits in 7.0 innings and earned the win.  Odell surrendered three runs on two hits and retired just one batter in the eighth.  Haug (1-2) didn't retire a batter in his outing and gave up two runs on one hit and took the loss.
 
Dykstra went 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored.  Woodey was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.  Wood finished 2-for-3 with a walk and scored the winning run.   
 
The Patriots look to win the series against the Colonials on Saturday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Va.