Box Score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team fell to Saint Joseph's, 9-4, in the first game of the series on Thursday afternoon at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

Mason (28-23, 12-9 A10) fell behind Saint Joseph's (26-21-1, 16-6 A10) in the first inning.  With runners on the corners after a walk and a single, Hawks graduate student third baseman Nate Thomas plated a run with a sacrifice fly against Patriots graduate student starter Ben Shields to make it a 1-0 game.

The Patriots responded in the bottom of the first against Hawks freshman starter Will McCausland.  With one out, junior right fielder Derek Wood doubled to left field and junior center fielder Jordan Smith singled up the middle to tie the score, 1-1.

After a scoreless second inning, Saint Joseph's scored five unanswered runs to take the lead.

In the top of the third, the Hawks sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on five hits against Mason freshman Owen Stewart to take a 4-1 advantage.  Hawks junior left fielder Brett Callahan had the big hit with a two-run home run.

Saint Joseph's senior first baseman Brandon Drapeau led off the top of the fourth to make it 5-1 and junior second baseman Max Hitman knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth against Mason graduate student Nolan Lamere to extend the lead to 6-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, junior designated hitter South Trimble doubled, Wood singled and Smith walked to load the bases.  Sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra drove in a run with an infield single and sophomore first baseman Reece Woody forced in another when he drew a walk to cut the lead to 6-3.

Saint Joseph's graduate student Mike Falco recorded the final out of the inning to end the threat.

The teams traded runs in the sixth.  With runners on first and third and with two outs, Hawks junior catcher Justin Igoe singled to left-center to drive in a run against Mason junior Kyle Menaker to make it 7-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore shortstop Carsen Pracht reached on an error to start the inning and Trimble followed with a walk.  After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Pracht scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead to 7-4.

The Hawks added two runs in the top of the eighth against Patriots graduate student Mason Posey for the 9-4 final score.

For the Patriots, Shields allowed one run on one hit in 2.0 innings.  Stewart surrendered four runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings.  Lamere gave up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings.  Menaker allowed one run on one hit in 2.0 innings.  Posey allowed two runs on four hits in the eighth.  Sophomore Britt Yount pitched 1.1 hitless innings.

For the Hawks, McCausland allowed three runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings.  Falco (3-1) gave up one unearned run on two hits in 4.2 innings to earn the win.

Wood went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Smith was 2-for-3 with two walks and one RBI and Dykstra finished 2-for-4 with one RBI.

The Patriots and Hawks play the middle game of the series on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.