Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots won their seventh straight home game with an 11-10 victory over James Madison in a midweek, non-conference matchup on Tuesday at Spuhler Field.

THE LEADOFF

• Junior shortstop Owen Clyne hit his fourth home run of the season, drove in three runs and scored three runs.
• Freshman left fielder Lucas Alberti had three hits, reached base five times and drove in two runs.
• Junior center fielder James Quinn-Irons hit his 18th double of the season and knocked in three runs.
• Junior starter Owen Stewart earned his first win of the season.
• Sophomore reliever Cole Egan notched his first collegiate save.
• The Patriots have hit 13 home runs over the last 16 games.
• George Mason improved to 14-2 at home this season.

George Mason (24-13, 10-5 A-10) took the lead against James Madison (12-25, 5-10 Sun Belt) sophomore starter Griffin Madden in the first inning.  Clyne led off with a walk and sophomore right fielder Owen Hull followed with his 11th double of the year to put runners on second and third.  Quinn-Irons plated a run with a groundout to put the Patriots in front.  With two outs, Alberti drove in a run with a single through the left side to make it 2-0.

James Madison got on the board in the top of the second against George Mason freshman Jake Drumm with a solo home run.

The Patriots responded in the home half of the second against Madden and Dukes sophomore reliever Corey Costello.  Sophomore second baseman Toby Hueber and graduate student catcher Nick Barenz started the inning with back-to-back singles.  After junior designated hitter Drew Canody moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Clyne drove in a pair of runs with a single to right to extend the lead to 4-1.

Clyne stole second and Hull walked and both players stole a base to put runners on second and third for Quinn-Irons, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right with Clyne coasting home to add to the lead, 5-1.

In the bottom of the third, sophomore third baseman Jake Butler walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt.  Alberti drove in his second run of the day with a single to left field to make the score 6-1.

The Dukes took advantage of a George Mason error and scored two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to trim the lead to 6-3.

The Patriots got the run back in the home half of the inning against Dukes freshman Holden McKinney.  Canody reached on a throwing error, stole second and went to third on a ground out.  Hull then drove in a run with a single to left field for a 7-3 advantage.

James Madison plated a run in the top of the fifth against George Mason freshman Michael Bilo.  The Dukes began the inning with a single and junior third baseman Wyatt Peifer doubled in a run to cut the lead to 7-4.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Clyne hit a solo home run just inside the foul pole down the left field line off James Madison junior Brode Susce to double the lead to 8-4.  Hull drew a walk and stole second for his third stolen base of the game and Quinn-Irons ripped a double to left field to pad the lead to 9-4.

James Madison scored a run in the top of the seventh against Patriots junior Logan Rumberg.  After two walks to start the inning, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Peifer knocked in a run with a ground out to make it 9-5.

The Patriots answered again in the bottom of the seventh against Duke sophomore Griffin Polley.  With two outs and runners on first and third after a pair of walks and a stolen base, Canody drove in a run with a single to put the Patriots up by five runs, 10-5.

In the top of the eighth, James Madison sent eight batters to the plate and scored two runs against Rumberg, sophomore Shaun Okeeffe and senior Britt Yount to pull within 10-7.  Yount recorded a strikeout to end the inning as the Dukes left the bases loaded.

The Patriots scored an important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Butler belted a two-out, solo home run over the left field fence for his fourth roundtripper of the season to add to the lead at 11-7.

In the top of the ninth, James Madison scored three runs with a RBI-single by senior left fielder Ryan Dooley and a two-run single by junior shortstop Maddux Fleck to make it a one-run game, 11-10.  The Patriots made the call to the bullpen for Egan, who struck out Peifer to end the game.

Both teams used seven pitchers in the game.

For the Patriots, Stewart (1-0) pitched 1.0 hitless inning to earn the win.  Drumm allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits in 3.0 innings.  Bilo gave up one unearned run in 1.0 inning.  Rumberg surrendered three runs, two earned, on two hits in 2.1 innings.  Yount allowed three runs on three hits in 1.0 innings.  Egan picked up his first career save.

For the Dukes, Madden (1-1) allowed four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings and took the loss.  Costello gave up two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.  McKinney allowed one run on two hits in 2.0 innings.  Susce surrendered two runs on two hits in 1.0 inning of work.

Clyne went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored.  Hull was 2-for-2 with three walks, three stolen bases, one RBI and two runs scored.  Alberti finished 3-for-3 with two walks and scored two runs.

The Patriots are on the road for a three-game weekend series at Massachusetts beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. in Amherst, Mass.