Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots hit four home runs, collected14 hits and stole 11 bases in a 15-11 win over St. Bonaventure in the middle game of the series on Saturday afternoon at Spuhler Field.

Sophomore left fielder Lucas Alberti hit two solo home runs and now has four on the season, while freshman third baseman Jackson Morse hit his first collegiate home run and senior shortstop Owen Clyne belted his second home run of the year.

THE LEADOFF

• Alberti had three hits, two solo home runs and scored three times.
• Clyne had three hits with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored.
• Freshman second baseman Julius Bagnerise reached base five times, stole three bases and scored three runs.
• Every player in the lineup scored at least one run and seven players had at least one stolen base.
• The Patriots had seven extra-base hits with four home runs, two doubles and a triple.

St. Bonaventure (4-13) threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases against George Mason (8-8) graduate student started Diego Cardenas with a leadoff single and two walks.  Cardenas struck out the side in the inning to turn the Bonnies away.

In the top of the third, St. Bonaventure sent nine batters to the plate and scored three runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter to take the lead.  Junior right fielder Conner Vercollone reached on a throwing error to start the inning.  Senior shortstop Chris Hoalcraft followed with a double to the gap in right-center and junior left fielder Joey Calabretti singled through the right side to plate another to put the Bonnies in front, 2-0.   After a pitching change, the Bonnies added a run with a bases loaded walk by Patriots graduate student reliever Brandon Hsu to make it 3-0.

George Mason responded in the home half of the third against Bonnies junior starter Nolan Feidt and junior reliever James Capellupo.  The Patriots sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs on seven hits, two walks and three Bonnies errors to jump in front.

Senior right fielder Drew Canody led off with a double to the gap in left-center and Bagrerise bunted his way on to put runners of the corners.  Bagnerise then stole second and Canody raced home on a fielding error for the first Patriots run.  Bagnerise stole home, junior first baseman Jake Butler bunted his way on and scored on a throwing error, and Alberti singled and raced home on a wild pitch to make it 4-3 Patriots.

After graduate student center fielder Luciano Terilli was hit by a pitch, Morse blasted a two-out, two run home run over the left field fence for his first NCAA home run to increase the lead to 6-3.  Junior catcher Vincent Cowdrey then walked, Canody reached on a fielding error and Bagnerise singled in a run with his second hit of the inning to make the score 7-3.  After a walk to Butler, Clyne stepped to the plate and ripped a two-run single over the leaping second baseman to extend the advantage to 9-3.

In the top of the fifth, St. Bonaventure sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on five hits against Hsu and graduate student reliever Tyson Willis to tie the game, 9-9.  Hoalcraft had a two-run double, while junior third baseman Manuel Castro knocked in a run with a double and junior center fielder Anthony Fernandez plated a run with a single.

The Patriots took the lead back for good in the bottom of the fifth with the first of three straight two-run innings.  Cowdrey doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch.  Bagnerise was hit by a pitch, went to second on a walk by Butler, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Clyne to make it 11-9.

After the Bonnies got a run back in the top of the seventh with a leadoff double and a sacrifice fly, the Patriots again plated two runs in the bottom of the inning against freshman reliever Owen Smith.  Alberti led off with a no-doubt home run over the left field fence.  With one out, senior Laken Tignor singled, and with two outs Cowdrey drove in a run with a triple for a three-run lead, 13-10.

The Bonnies scored a run in the top of the seventh against Patriots graduate student reliever Carter Kelsey with a single, double and a sacrifice fly for their final run of the game.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Alberti and Clyne hit back-to-back home runs for the 15-11 final score.

For the Patriots, Cardenas was charged with three unearned runs on five hits in 2.2 innings.  Hsu surrendered five runs on three hits in 1.2 innings.  Willis (1-0) gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings and earned his first win as a Patriot.  Kelsey allowed one run on three hits over the final 3.0 innings to notch his third save of the season.

Clyne went 3-for-4 with his second home run of the year, four RBI and one run scored.  Albert was 3-for-5 with two solo home runs and three runs scored.  Cowdrey finished 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, one RBI and scored two runs. 

For the Bonnies, Feidt (2-2) allowed seven runs on six hits in 2.2 innings and took the loss.  Capellupo (0-1) gave up four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings and took the loss. 

The Patriots and Bonnies wrap up the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for noon at Spuhler Field.