Game 2 Boxscore (PDF)
Game 3 Boxscore (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots won Saturday's continuation game early Sunday afternoon but dropped the final game of the series against the Rams at Spuhler Field. The Green and Gold have now won six of seven Atlantic 10 Conference series this season and still sit atop the conference standings with a 14-7 record. Rhode Island and Saint Joseph's also sit near the top with 14-7 records as well.

THE LEADOFF

• The Patriots resumed Game 2 of the weekend series on Sunday morning following a more than 20 hour delay due to severe weather conditions. When play resumed, the Rams halved the Patriot lead with a solo home run; the Patriots then scored eight unanswered runs to decisively take the game and the series.
• Graduate student starting pitcher Connor O'Hara earned his fifth win of the season in Game 2, having struck out eight Rams; graduate student reliever Daniel Elliott pitched the final three and a third innings of the game to notch his third save of the season.
• Junior center fielder James Quinn-Irons, sophomore second baseman Jake Butler and freshman outfielder Lucas Alberti led the Patriots in multi-hit, multi-RBI outings in Game 2.
• In Game 3, the Patriots battled back from an early 6-0 deficit to tie the game at seven runs-a-piece in the seventh inning thanks in large part to Owen Hull's three-run home run, Quinn-Iron's two-run home run and Jonny Wall's 3-for-4 performance. It would prove not to be enough, as the Rams poured on eight more runs in the final two frames.
• Quinn-Irons finished the weekend leading the Patriots in RBI (6), slugging (1.000) runs scored (5) and triples (1)
• Wall especially shined during the pivotal battle-for-first-place series over the weekend, leading the team in hits (7-for-11) and in slash line (.636/.667/.636).
• The Patriots have won 12 of their last 15 games and have won six of their last seven A-10 series match ups.

GAME 2: George Mason 10, Rhode Island 1
After a postponement that lasted 20 hours and 35 minutes, Game 2 between George Mason (29-14, 14-6 A-10) and Rhode Island (26-17, 13-7) resumed in the top of the sixth inning at 11:02 a.m. Sunday morning, where Elliott replaced O'Hara on the mound. On the other side of the dugout, the Rams replaced Saturday starter Trystan Levesque with reliever Braeden Perry.

No runs were scored in either half of the sixth inning, but the first Sunday score happened in the top of the seventh with one out. Graduate student left fielder Nic Notarangelo hit a first pitch home run to right center, immediately halving the Patriot lead. Fortunately for George Mason, that would be the only blemish their pitching staff would record for the rest of the game.

In the bottom half of the seventh, the Patriots tacked on two more runs thanks to a Butler RBI single up the middle scoring Owen Hull from second, followed by another RBI single by graduate student designated hitter Nick Barenz, scoring Quinn-Irons from third.

After a shutdown top of the eighth, the game was broken wide open with a six-run bottom half of the inning. Hull started the scoring affair with a bases-loaded hit by pitch, followed by a Quinn-Irons two-RBI single. Hull was then scored from third after a Butler sacrifice fly to right, then Alberti drove Quinn-Irons home with a double down the right field line. Alberti ultimately scored the final run of the game when he advanced home on a wild pitch during Evan Blanchard's at-bat.

Other than the one Rhody homer, reliever Elliott had no trouble during his three and a third inning's worth of work. Because he pitched the final three innings while maintaining the lead, the Fulton, Md., native notched his third save of the season and his first since April 5^th against Saint Louis. Saturday starter O'Hara earned his fifth win of the season as well.


GAME 3: Rhode Island 15, George Mason 9
The second game of the double header was the highest-scoring game of the series, where both George Mason (29-15, 14-7 A-10) and Rhode Island (27-17, 14-7 A-10) combined for 24 runs, 29 hits, 20 runners left on base and only one error.

After a quick and scoreless first inning, the Rams' bats came alive. Junior designated hitter Jack Hopko hit his first of three home runs of the game. After Hopko's one-pitch at-bat, graduate student first baseman DJ Perron hit a solo home run on the first pitch as well. After a Nic Notarangelo strikeout, sophomore second baseman Scott Penney hit the third and final solo shot of the inning, this time on a 0-1 count.

Rhode Island's Hopko would pour on three more runs in the following inning with a three-run home run down the right field line.

The Rams were up 6-0 over the Patriots going into the bottom of the third. The Patriots would slowly chip away at the Rhode Island lead throughout the middle innings of the game.

George Mason first baseman Jonny Wall led the third off by drawing a five pitch walk. Owen Clyne followed that up with a single to right. With two Patriots aboard, sophomore right fielder Owen Hull hit a three-run home run of his own to right center, halving the Rhode Island lead.

After a scoreless fourth inning and a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, the Patriots brought the game to within one run with a Quinn-Irons two run homer over the right center field wall, scoring Hull as well.

The Rams added one run in the sixth to extend their 7-5 lead, but the game was eventually tied in the bottom of the seventh with a Sam Lavin RBI sacrifice fly and a Wall RBI single down the left field line.

The Rams always had an answer to George Mason's punches, and they delivered again top of the eighth with another Hopko at-bat. This time, the designated hitter from Endwell, N.Y., plated his fifth RBI of the day with a single through the right side. His day would not be done, however, as he would hit RBIs six and seven in the top of the ninth with his third home run of the afternoon. Rhody's Notarangelo capped off the seven-run ninth inning with a solo home run.

In total, the Rams hit six home runs compared to George Mason's two on the game.

The Patriots would score two more runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, which included Lavin's second RBI of the game. It would not be enough, however, as the Rams would record the final out and take the rubber match with a 15-9 final score.

The Patriots will hit the road and head south to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play a single game against #8 North Carolina this Tuesday, April 29. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACCN.