Box score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – The Patriots hit thee home runs but dropped the middle game of their series at Richmond, 17-16, in 10 innings at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.

Senior center fielder Jordan Smith and graduate student left fielder Ben Jones each hit a three-run home run, and freshman third baseman Jake Butler hit a solo home run.

Smith went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.  Jones was 2-for-6 with four RBI, three runs scored and hit his first home run as a Patriot.  Junior designated hitter Connor Dykstra went 3-for-6 with one RBI and three runs scored.  Graduate student second baseman South Trimble finished 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. 

Every player in the Mason starting lineup had at least one hit.  Eight players in the starting lineup drove in at least one run and eight players scored at least one run.

Mason (12-14, 0-2 A10) built a 16-2 advantage after scoring 16 unanswered runs from the fourth through the sixth inning.

Richmond (11-15, 2-0) took the lead against Patriots redshirt sophomore Konner Eaton when graduate student center fielder Aaron Whitley led off the bottom of the first with a home run.

Eaton then retired 16 of the next 18 batters he faced with nine strikeouts from the first through the sixth.

In the top of the fourth, the Patriots sent nine batters to the plate and scored four runs on five hits against Richmond junior starter Brian Reinke and graduate student reliever Logan Ymker to take a 4-1 lead.  Junior shortstop Carsen Pracht and Dykstra each drove in a run with a single and Mason scored two runs on a throwing error.

In the top of the fifth, Mason sent 11 batters to the plate and scored five runs on six hits to build a 9-1 advantage.

With one out, junior first baseman Reece Woody walked and Dykstra followed with a single to put runners on the corners.  Jones stepped to the plate and belted a three-run home run over the left field fence.  The Patriots went back-to-back when Butler hit a solo home run to left field, his second round-tripper of the season.

The Spiders scored a run in the home half of the fourth on a RBI-groundout by junior left fielder D.J. Pacheco.

The Patriots batted around again in the top of the sixth and scored seven runs on seven hits to extend the lead to 16-2.

The first four batters of the inning reached base.  Dykstra, Jones and Butler each doubled and graduate student catcher Socrates Bardatsos singled in a run.  Senior right fielder Derek Wood drove in a run with a single and Trimble doubled in another.  Smith had the big hit in the inning with a three-run home run to right-center, his fifth home run of the season.

Richmond began the comeback with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, including the second home run of the game by Whitney, to make it a 16-5 game.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Spiders sent 11 batters to the plate and scored five runs on five hits against Mason graduate student Luke Goodyear and sophomore Logan Rumberg to cut the lead to 16-10.

Richmond sent 10 batters to the plate and tied the score with six runs on four hits in the home half of the ninth against junior Britt Yount and senior Kyle Menaker to send the game into extra innings.

The Patriots threatened in the top of the 10th with a one-out double by Pracht but were unable to plate a run.

The Spiders loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning against Mason freshman Ty Uchman with a single, double and intentional walk.  Sophomore Connor Knox entered the game and retired the first batter he faced on a fielder's choice.  Richmond freshman center fielder Nick Lorenzo then lifted a sacrifice fly to right for the 17-16 walk-off win.

The Patriots used eight pitchers in the game.  Eaton allowed five runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.  Goodyear gave up three runs on one hit and retired one batter in his outing.  Rumberg allowed two runs on six hits in 1.0 inning.  Yount surrendered four runs on two hits, Menaker allowed two runs on two hits and Uchman (0-2) was charged with a run in the 10th.

The Spiders used eight pitchers in the game.  Reinke allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits in 4.1 innings.  Junior Dane Armson (1-1) retired the lone batter he faced and picked up the win.

Bardatsos went 3-for-6 with one RBI and two runs scored, Pracht was 3-for-6 with one RBI and Butler finished 2-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored.

The Patriots and Spiders wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for noon at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.