Box score (PDF)
 
CONWAY, S.C. – The George Mason baseball team fell to No. 12 Duke on Saturday afternoon, 23-5, at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
 
Mason (0-2) took the lead over Duke (2-0) in the top of the first when graduate student second baseman South Trimble led off the game with a solo home run to left field off Blue Devils sophomore starting pitcher Andrew Healy.
 
Trimble tallied his first two hits of the season and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored two runs.
 
Freshman third baseman Jake Butler hit his first collegiate home run with a two-out blast to left field in the ninth.  Graduate student designated hitter Socrates Bardatsos collected his first hit as a Patriot with a single in the eighth inning.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The Patriots opened the scoring when Trimble led off the game with a home run to put Mason in front, 1-0.
• Duke sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored eight runs on six hits to take an 8-1 lead.  Freshman right-fielder A.J. Garcia hit a three-run homer, junior shortstop Wallace Clark hit a two-run home run, junior center fielder Devin Obee hit an inside-the-park home run and senior second baseman Zac Morris also hit a solo home run in the inning.
• Garcia hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second for Duke to make the score 11-1. 
• The Patriots cut into the lead in the top of the third.  Trimble singled with one out and stole both second and third.  After senior outfielder Derek Wood walked and stole second, senior center fielder Jordan Smith doubled in a pair of runs to cut the lead to 11-3.
• The Blue Devils got the runs back in the bottom of the third.  With two outs, senior catcher Alex Stone homered and Duke also plated a run on a wild pitch to increase the advantage to 13-3.
• Duke tacked on a run in the sixth when Obee hit his second home run of the game to make it 14-3.
• In the top of the seventh, junior first baseman Reece Woody led off with a walk and classmate Carsen Pracht followed with a single.  With one out, both players advance on a balk and Trimble plated a run with a ground out.
• In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Devils sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on seven hits and two errors to extend the lead to 21-4.
• Duke freshman center fielder Chase Krewson hit a two-run home run in the eighth.
• In the ninth, Bulter hit his first NCAA home run, a solo shot to left. 

NOTES

•  Graduate student Luke Goodyear made his George Mason debut.
• Smith went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
• Redshirt sophomore Konner Eaton made his first start of the season and took the loss.
• Sophomore Owen Stewart and junior Britt Yount each made their first appearances of the season out of the bullpen.
• The Blue Devils hit 11 home runs in the game. 

UP NEXT
 
The Patriots play their final game at Baseball at the Beach when they take on Indiana for the first time in program history on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.