Boxscore (PDF)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – George Mason battled back in the later innings to tie No. 4 North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium, but the Tarheels pulled away in the final two innings with nine unanswered runs.

THE LEADOFF

• The Tarheels opened the scoring with a three-run second inning. The score would remain 3-0 in North Carolina's favor for the next three innings.
• The Patriots got on the board and scored their first run in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single by junior shortstop Owen Clyne.
• After a Tarheel run in the bottom of the sixth, George Mason posted a three-run inning in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.
• North Carolina responded in the bottom of the seventh with an eight-run frame, followed by an additional run in the eighth to close out the game.
• George Mason committed a season-high five errors on the game, which resulted in three unearned runs.
• Along with Clyne, first baseman Jonny Wall and outfielders Owen Hull, James Quinn-Irons and Lucas Alberti all recorded multi-hit games.
• Junior relief pitcher Logan Rumberg saw the most action for Patriots on the mound, recording five of the staff's nine strikeouts on the day.

George Mason (29-16, 14-7 A-10) kept within striking distance with No. 4 North Carolina (34-10, 15-9 ACC) for the majority of the afternoon game in Chapel Hill.

The Tarheels opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning after graduate student right fielder Tyson Bass hit a solo home run to left. Designated hitter Rom Kellis followed it up later in the inning with an RBI double. Kellis would later score the third run of the frame on a wild pitch.

The Patriot pitching and defense began to settle in after the early runs, not allowing a run for the next three innings. North Carolina threatened to score in the fourth and fifth innings with two runners on base. The Tarheels were ultimately left stranded and the Patriots were able to keep the deficit to just three runs.

The Patriot offense got on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Graduate student designated hitter Sam Lavin led the inning off by drawing a walk and was later advanced to second thanks to a Jonny Wall sacrifice bunt. Owen Clyne drove the Patriot baserunner home with a single to center field.

The sixth inning rally continued with an Owen Hull single, advancing Clyne to second. Though there were two runners on and one out, the Tarheels were able to get out of the inning by recording the next two subsequent Patriots out; James Quinn-Irons struck out swinging and Jake Butler grounded out to Tarheel reliever Tom Chmielewski.

North Carolina extended their back up to three in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double to left center by junior center fielder Kane Kepley.

The most productive inning for the Patriots was in the top of the seventh in the form of back-to-back-to-back RBI singles.

With leadoff runner Lucas Alberti on third and Lavin on first, Wall singled to left field, scoring Alberti. Clyne, the subsequent batter, then singled to center that brought Lavin home. Hull's single kept the line moving, scoring Wall from second. By the end of the inning, the Patriot flurry of hits tied up the game against the No. 4 team in the country.

Unfortunately for George Mason, a seven hit, eight run bottom of the seventh inning broke the game wide open. All eight runs were scored before there were two outs in the inning.

The final run of the game was scored in the bottom of the eighth on a Patriot wild pitch.

The Patriots return home for a three-game Atlantic 10 series against Saint Joseph's beginning Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.