Box score (PDF)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Patriots dropped their midweek game to No. 10 Virginia, 11-5, on Wednesday night at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Va.

Freshman Dylan McCarthy pitched two innings in his first collegiate appearance and start, junior first baseman Reece Woody hit his fifth home run of the season and sophomore third baseman Evan Blanchard had three hits.

Virginia (29-9, 11-7 ACC) took the lead in the bottom of the first.  Junior shortstop Griff O'Ferrall led off with a walk and graduate student center fielder Bobby Whelan singled.  Junior right fielder Casey Sauke then singled in a run and the Cavaliers plated another on a double play grounder to make it 2-0.

Mason (16-18, 4-5 A10) responded in the top of the second against Cavaliers junior Blake Barker.

With one out, sophomore right fielder James Quinn-Irons singled and stole second.  Blanchard then singled to right-center, with Quinn-Irons racing home to make it a one-run game at 2-1.

In the bottom of the second, Virginia put runners on the corners with a leadoff single and a fielding error and added a run on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-1.

In the top of the fifth against Virginia sophomore Ryan Osinski, senior left fielder Derek Wood led off with a single.  With one out, senior center fielder Jordan Smith doubled to left field, with Wood racing all the way around to make it a one-run game once again at 3-2.

Sauke drove in a run in the bottom of the fifth with a double down the left field line off Mason sophomore Logan Rumberg to double the Cavaliers advantage to 4-2.

Woody led off the bottom of the sixth with his fifth home run of the season, a blast to right field off Virginia graduate student Angelo Tonas to cut the lead to 4-3.  After one-out singles by Blanchard and junior shortstop Carsen Pracht, Wood delivered a RBI-single to tie the score 4-4.

The Patriots have hit 12 home runs over their last nine games.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Virginia batted around and reclaimed the lead with three straight extra-base hits. 

Sophomore third baseman Luke Hanson tripled in a run against Rumberg, freshman second baseman Eric Becker drove in a run with a triple off Mason freshman Shaun Okeeffe and O'Ferrall knocked in a run with a double off Patriots' sophomore Owen Stewart to put the Cavaliers back in front, 7-4.

Stewart limited the damage when he enticed an inning-ending groundout with the bases loaded.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Becker hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 10-4.

The Patriots got a run back in the top of the eighth when Quinn-Irons led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Pracht.

The Patriots used seven pitchers in the game.  McCarthy allowed three runs, only one earned, on three hits in 2.0 innings.  Graduate student Luke Goodyear tossed 2.1 scoreless innings.  Rumberg (1-4) surrendered three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.  Okeeffe was charged with one run in the sixth.  Freshman Brant Ertel allowed three unearned runs in the eighth and senior Kyle Menaker gave up a run in the ninth.

The Cavaliers used six pitchers in the game.  Sophomore Bryson Moore made the start and pitched the first inning and allowed two hits.  Barker gave up one run on four hits in 2.0 innings.  Osinski allowed one run on three hits in 2.0 innings.  Tonas (1-0) surrendered two runs on four hits in 4.0 innings and earned the win.

Blanchard went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored and Quinn-Irons was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  Trimble, Smith, Pracht and Wood each had two hits in the game.

The Patriots return home for a three-game Atlantic 10 series against Massachusetts beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Spuhler Field.