Box score (PDF)

TYSONS, Va. – The George Mason baseball team defeated Lehigh, 7-4, on Friday night at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.

THE LEADOFF

• Head coach Shawn Camp recorded his 100th win.
• Redshirt-junior starting pitcher Owen Stewart worked five innings with six strikeouts to earn the win.
• Sophomore left fielder Lucas Alberti hit his second home run of the season, scored three runs and had two stolen bases.
• Senior shortstop Owen Clyne had two hits, two stolen bases and scored a run.
• Freshman second baseman Julius Bagnerise finished with two hits including a triple, drove in a run and scored a run.
• The Patriots stole 10 bases and every player in the lineup reached base at least once.

George Mason (3-5) took the lead against Lehigh freshman starter Christopher Nell (2-5) in the top of the first inning.  Clyne led off with a single up the middle, stole both second and third, and raced home on a wild pitch to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

The Mountain Hawks tied the score in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles to make it a 1-1 game.

In the bottom of the fourth, Lehigh used a leadoff walk and a two-out RBI-single to take a 2-1 lead.

The Patriots scored at least one run in each of the final five innings of the game.

In the top of the fifth, the Patriots plated a pair of runs against Lehigh junior reliever Sam Fairhurst.  Alberti and graduate student center fielder Luciano Terilli each singled and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by junior first baseman Jake Butler.

Bagnerise drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and junior designated hitter Matthew Westley singled up the middle to drive in another to give the Patriots the lead for good at 3-2.

In the sixth, Alberti hit a two-out, solo home run to make the score 4-2.  Bulter led off the seventh with a single to left and stole both second and third, and with two outs, freshman third baseman Jackson Morse drove in a run with a single off Lehigh freshman reliever Ryan Holman to extend the lead to 5-2.

Terilli singled in a run in the eighth to pad the advantage to 6-2.

Lehigh got two runs back in the home half of the eighth against George Mason graduate student Brandon Hsu.  The Mountain Hawks began the inning with an infield single and scored runs with a fielders choice groundout and a single to make it a two-run game, 6-4.

The Patriots added an insurance run in the top of the ninth against Lehigh freshman Declan Wilkes.  Bagnerise led off with a triple down the third base line and scored on a sacrifice fly by Westley for the 7-4 final.

For the Patriots, Stewart (1-1) allowed two runs on six hits in 5.0 innings and earned the win.  He finished with six strikeouts and four walks.  Hsu was charged with two runs on five hits in 2.2 innings.  Graduate student Carter Kelsey tossed 1.1 hitless innings to notch his second save.

For the Mountain Hawks, Nell allowed one run on four hits in 3.2 innings.  Fairhurst (1-1) surrendered four runs on five hits in 2.2 innings and took the loss. Holman gave up one run on two hits in 1.0 inning of work.  Wilkes gave up one run on one hit in 1.2 innings.

The Patriots stole 10 bases and every player in the lineup reached base at least once in the game.  Alberti went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, three runs scored and a walk.  Bagnerise was 2-for-4 with one RBI and scored a run.  Terilli finished 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored.

Game two of the series is Saturday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.