Box score (PDF)

CONWAY, S.C. – The George Mason baseball team dropped its season opener at Coastal Carolina, 26-0, at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.

Mason senior right fielder Derek Wood broke up the no-hitter with a two-out, two-strike double down the third base line in the top of the ninth.

Mason (0-1) fell behind in the bottom of the first inning when the Chanticleers (1-0) sent nine batters to the plate against Patriots junior starter Chad Gartland.

The first five Chanticleers batters of the game reached base.  Sophomore catcher Caden Bodine doubled in a run, graduate student right fielder Graham Brown forced in another when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.

Sophomore left fielder Jake Books then hit a grand slam to left to make the score 6-0.

In the home half of the third, Coastal Carolina sent 10 batters to the plate and added seven runs.  Junior designated hitter Derek Bender had the big hit with a grand slam to left.

Gartland (0-1) allowed 12 runs on six hits and walked six with one strikeout in 2.2 innings.  The Patriots used seven pitchers in the game.

For the Chanticleers, junior Riley Eikhoff (1-0) tossed 6.0 hitless innings.  Freshman Hayden Johnson gave up one hit in 3.0 innings of work.

Mason graduate students Socrates Bardatsos, Ben Jones and Avery Mabe along with junior Jake Roberti each made their Patriots debut.

Freshmen Jake Butler, Brant Ertel, Toby Hueber, Own Hull, Shaun Okeeffe and Ty Uchman each made their NCAA debut. 

The Patriots are back on the diamond on Saturday morning against No. 12 Duke, with with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.