Box score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – Senior starting pitcher Ryan Peterson tossed a season-high seven innings and the Patriots collected 14 hits in a 9-6 win over Richmond in the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.

Peterson struck out nine batters, his most as a Patriot, over seven innings of work to earn his first win of the season.

Freshman third baseman Jake Butler drove in three runs and scored twice, sophomore right fielder James Quinn-Irons was 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored and junior first baseman Reece Woody hit his fourth home run of the season.

Mason (13-14, 1-2 A10) took the lead against Richmond (11-16, 2-1 A10) junior starter Esteban Rodriguez in the top of the second.

With one out, Butler walked and went to second on a wild pitch.  Junior shortstop Carsen Pracht then singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position.  Freshman second baseman Toby Hueber plated a run with a groundout to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

Peterson scattered three singles and fanned four through the first four innings of the game.

In the top of the fifth, senior left fielder Derek Wood led off with an infield single and stole both second and third.  Graduate student catcher Socrates Bardatsos walked to put runners at first and third.  Graduate student designated hitter Ben Jones and Quinn-Irons both delivered RBI singles to make it 3-0.

In the home half of the inning, the Spiders sent nine batters to the plate and scored four runs on four hits to take a 4-3 lead. 

Freshman designated hitter Joey Wilga led off with a home run, graduate student right fielder Phil Bernstein drove in a run with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and graduate student Jake Topolski knocked in a pair of runs with a single.

Mason then scored six unanswered runs from the sixth through the eighth to retake the lead.

In the top of the sixth against Richmond freshman reliever Davis Wallon, senior center fielder Jordan Smith singled to right field and with two outs, Woody belted a two-run home run over the right field fence to vault the Patriots to a 5-4 advantage.

The Patriots sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on three hits in the top of the seventh against Richmond junior relievers Dane Armson and Cole Hentschel.

Jones and Quinn-Irons began the inning with back-to-back singles and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.  Butler then laced a two-run single to left field to make the score 7-4.  Butler advanced to second on a balk, went to third on a wild pitch and rumbled home on another wild pitch to extend the lead to 8-4.

Mason loaded the bases and tacked on a run in the top of the eighth against Richmond junior reliever Harrison Clifton.

Bardatsos singled, Jones walked and Quinn-Irons dropped down a bunt single to put a Patriot at every base.  Bulter knocked in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 9-4.

The Spiders plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth against Mason sophomore reliever Connor Knox.  Spiders' junior shortstop Connor Larson doubled to left-center with two outs for the final runs of the day and the 9-6 final score.

With runners on first and second, junior Chad Gartland entered the game and recorded the final out of the inning.  He struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.

For the Patriots, Peterson (1-1) allowed four runs on seven hits in 7.0 innings and picked up the win.  He struck out nine and walked one.  Knox gave up two runs in his outing.  Gartland retired all four batters that he faced and notched the save.

For the Spiders, Rodriguez allowed three runs on seven hits in 7.0 innings.  Walton and Armson (1-2) each surrendered two runs on two hits in their outings.  Hentschel gave up one run on one hit and retired one batter and Clifton allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Wood went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Jones was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, while Pracht and Smith each finished 2-for-5.

The Patriots are back on the diamond against Longwood on Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Farmville, Va.