Game one box score (PDF)
Game two box score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – The George Mason baseball team split a doubleheader at VCU on Saturday at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.  The Patriots won the first game, 4-2, and dropped the nightcap to the Rams, 10-6.

THE LEADOFF

• Graduate student starter Connor O'Hara worked eight innings and earned his fifth win in game one.
• Freshman catcher Andrew Raymond hit his fourth home run of the season in game one.
• Sophomore right fielder Owen Hull had two hits and drove in three runs in game two.

GAME ONE

George Mason (22-12, 9-4 A-10) took the lead against VCU (10-23, 4-9 A-10) graduate student starter Owen Tappy in the first inning.  With one out, Hull reached on a throwing error and junior center fielder James Quinn-Irons singled to put runners on the corners.  Sophomore second baseman Jake Butler then doubled to right-center for his 46th RBI of the season to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

O'Hara retired eight of the first 10 batters through three innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, VCU loaded the bases with two infield singles and a hit batter.  After the Patriots turned a double play, senior shortstop Casey Kleinman doubled in a pair of runs to give the Rams a 2-1 lead.

The Patriots tied the game in the top of the seventh when Raymond hit a leadoff home run over the right-center field fence to make it 2-2.

The Patriots have hit 11 home runs over their last 13 games.

George Mason threatened in the top of the ninth against Rams freshman reliever Elijah Coston.  With two outs, graduate student first baseman Jonny Wall singled and graduate student designated hitter Nick Barenz and junior third baseman Evan Blanchard each walked to load the bases.

VCU made a pitching change with senior James McGrady on the mound to face Patriots graduate student shortstop Owen Clyne.

Clyne hit a grounder to second and reached on a fielder's choice and both Wall and pinch-runner Drew Canody crossed the plate when the throw to second base was off target to vault the Patriots into the lead, 4-2.

Graduate student Garnder Meeks pitched the ninth to close out the game.

For the Patriots, O'Hara (5-2) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out five without a walk in 8.0 innings to earn his fifth win.  Meeks notched his second save of the season.

For the Rams, Tappy allowed two runs, on earned, on eight hits in 7.0 innings.  Coston (1-2) was charged with two unearned runs in 1.2 innings and took the loss.

Butler went 3-for-4 and drove in a run.  Wall was 2-for-4 and scored a run.  Quinn-Irons finished 2-for-4.

GAME TWO

George Mason (22-13, 9-5 A-10) took the lead against VCU (11-23, 5-9 A-10) senior started Cade Dressler in the first inning.  Clyne led off with a walk and Hull reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners.  Clyne rumbled home when Hull got caught in a run down to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

VCU got on the board in the home half of the inning against Patriots graduate student starter Sam Lavin.  Kleinman led off with a single and scored on a double by sophomore right fielder Trent Adelman.  Freshman Nick Flores then plated a run with an infield single to make it 2-1 Rams.

With one out in the top of the second, Wall walked and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Freshman left fielder Lucas Alberti singled through the right side to put Patriots on first and third.  Junior third baseman Evan Blanchard then reached of a throwing error with Wall scoring on the play to tie the score, 2-2.

The Rams took the lead back in the bottom of the third.  Back-to-back one-out singles put runners on the corners and freshman catcher Jacob Lee plated a run with a groundout to make it 3-2.

With one out in the top of the fourth, Blanchard doubled to right field and Clyne singled against VCU senior Jack Hoeymans to put Patriots on first and third.  Hull made it 3-3 with a RBI-groundout.

In the bottom of the fifth, the first two Rams batters of the inning reached with a walk and a single.  A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position and VCU scored a run on a wild pitch and another on a sacrifice fly to retake the lead at 5-3.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, the Patriots scored three runs on four straight hits to reclaim the advantage, 6-5.

Blanchard and Clyne began the rally with back-to-back singles.  Hull stepped to the plate and drove in a pair of runs with a double to left field to tie the game.  Quinn-Irons then doubled to the gap in right-center, with Hull rumbling home with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the sixth, the first two Rams batters singled against Patriots graduate student reliever Daniel Elliott.  After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Adelman lifted a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game, 6-6.

VCU sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the eighth and scored four two-out runs on five hits against Elliott and George Mason relievers Cole Egan and Logan Rumberg for the 10-6 final score.  Six straight Rams reached base with two outs in the inning.

For the Patriots, Lavin allowed five runs on five hits in 4.2 innings.  Elliott (2-2) surrendered three runs on five hits in 3.0 innings and took the loss.  Egan was charged with two runs on two hits in his outing.

For the Rams, Dressler allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in 2.0 innings.  Hoeymans gave up four runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings.  Junior Zachary Peters (1-1) tossed 2.0 scoreless frames to earn the win.

Hull went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and one run scored.  Blanchard was 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.  Clyne finished 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs.

The Patriots and Rams wrap up the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.