Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team dropped the final game of its series against VCU, 9-8, on Sunday afternoon at Spuhler Field.

VCU (27-16, 9-5 A10) took the lead against Mason (18-23, 6-9 A10) senior starter Ryan Peterson in the top of the second.

With two outs, Rams senior center fielder Cooper Benzin walked and senior catcher Nic Ericsson singled and advanced to second on defensive indifference to put a pair of runners in scoring position.  Senior shortstop William Bean then drove in two runs with a single to put the Rams in front, 2-0.

The Patriots responded in the home half of the inning against VCU junior starter Jack Hoeymans.

Sophomore right fielder James Quinn-Irons led off with a single and senior center fielder Jordan Smith knocked in the Patriots' first run of the game with a double to right-center and advanced to third base on the throw home.  With one out, junior catcher Connor Dykstra lifted a sacrifice fly to right, with Smith racing home to tie the score, 2-2.

With two out in the top of the fourth, Ericsson, Bean and junior second baseman Casey Kleinman each singled, with Ericsson scoring of an error to give the Rams a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Patriots batted around and scored five runs on three hits against Rams senior Nick Cosentino and junior Everett Vaughan.

With two outs, six straight Patriots reached base.  Graduate student second baseman South Trimble, junior shortstop Carsen Pracht and graduate student designated hitter Ben Jones each drew a walk to load the bases.  Quinn-Irons delivered a two-run single to vault Mason into the lead, 4-3. 

Smith then knocked in a run with a double off the wall in left field and freshman third baseman Jake Butler plated a pair of runs with a single to right to make the score 7-3.

The teams traded runs in the sixth. 

In the top of the inning, Benzin led off with a single and Ericsson doubled off Mason sophomore Logan Rumberg.  With one out, Kleinman drove in a run with a groundout to make it a 7-4 game.

In the bottom of the inning, Mason graduate studend Socrates Bardatsos led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.  Trimble increased the Patriots advantage to 8-4 with a RBI-single up the middle.

With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the seventh, Rams junior left fielder Jake Thilges drove in a run with a double to left to cut the lead to 8-5.

In the top of the eighth, the Rams scored two runs against Mason sophomore Owen Stewart on a RBI-single and a groundout to make it a one-run game at 8-7.

In the top of the ninth, VCU began the inning with a single and a walk against Mason sophomore Ryan Edmonds.  Benzin then dropped down a sacrifice bunt.  The Patriots went for the force at third, but graduate student Eli Weisner would score on a throwing error to tie the game.  Bean then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in the eventual game-winning run to make it 9-8.

The Patriots used seven pitchers in the game.  Peterson allowed three runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings.  Rumberg gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits in 2.0 innings.  Stewart surrendered two runs on three hits and retired two batters.  Edmonds (1-2) allowed two unearned runs and took the loss.  Junior Britt Yount recorded the final three outs.

For the Rams, Hoeymans allowed two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings.  Cosentino gave up three runs in 2.0 innings.  Vaughan surrendered three runs on four hits and retired two batters in his outing.  Graduate student Owen Tappy (7-1) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Patriots are on the road to face Georgetown on Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. in Tysons, Va.