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ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Senior starter Logan Rumberg earned the win, and senior shortstop Owen Clyne and sophomore left fielder Lucas Alberti each hit a home run in the Patriots 5-3 victory over the Billikens in the first game of the series at Billiken Sports Center in St. Louis, Mo.

THE LEADOFF

• Rumberg retired 12 of the first 13 Billikens batters in the game.
• Clyne hit his third home run of the season and extended his hitting streak to nine games.
• Alberti hit a home run for the second straight game.
• Junior first baseman Jake Butler drove in two runs and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

George Mason (12-11, 5-2 A-10) took the lead against Saint Louis (12-13, 4-3 A-10) senior starter Ben Cherico in the first inning.  After two fly outs, Clyne and Alberti hit back-to-back home runs to put the Patriots in front, 2-0.  Alberti has at least one hit in 19 of 23 games.

In the top of the third, freshman third baseman Jackson Morse led off with a single and with one out, Butler ripped his ninth double of the season to center field to plate the Patriots third run of the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Billikens senior shortstop Austin Neuweg led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout to make the score 3-1.

The Patriots tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh against Saint Louis graduate student Colin Hawkins.  Morse led off with a single to right and freshman second baseman Julius Bagnerise reached on a throwing error, with Morse going to third.  Butler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Clyne singled in a run to extend to the lead to 5-1.  Clyne recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game and 11th of the season.

Neuwig hit a one-out, solo home run in the home half of the eighth to trim the Patriots lead to three runs.  After a pitching change, redshirt-junior reliever Owen Stewart allowed a solo home run to Billikens senior center fielder Ian Blazier for the final run of the game.

The Patriots won for the first time in the regular season at Saint Louis.

For the Patriots, Rumberg (4-1) allowed two runs on three hits in 7.1 innings to earn his fourth win of the season.  Stewart gave up one run on in 1.2 innings and notched his third save of the year.

Clyne was 2-for-2 with two walks, a home run, two RBI and scored a run.  Morse went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored two runs.  Alberti finished 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk.

For the Billikens, Cherico (2-2) allowed three runs on four hits in 5.1 innings and took the loss.  Hawkins gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.

The Patriots and Billikens play the middle game of the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. (EST)