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Virginia Commonwealth University

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Michael Haydak Cover
6
VCU VCU 13-11, 0-1 A-10
7
Winner George Mason MASON 9-15, 1-0 A-10
VCU VCU
13-11, 0-1 A-10
6
Final
7
George Mason MASON
9-15, 1-0 A-10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
VCU VCU 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 11 1
George Mason MASON 0 1 0 3 1 0 1 1 X 7 14 0

W: Jared Lyons (3-3) L: Hungate, Chase (3-2) S: Chad Gartland (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RAMS DROP ATLANTIC 10 OPENER AT GEORGE MASON, 7-6

Score: George Mason 7, VCU 6
Location: Fairfax, Va. (Spuhler Field)
Records: VCU 13-11 (0-1 Atlantic 10), George Mason 9-15 (1-0 A-10)
 
The short story: Redshirt junior first baseman Michael Haydak hit two home runs in the first two innings, but a ninth-inning rally was not enough to overcome seven straight runs from the Patriots in the conference opener.
 
FIRST PITCH
  • Haydak, who had two homers in his VCU career entering the game, hit home runs in back-to-back innings to open the game, totaling a career-high four RBIs.
  • Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Will Carlone went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
  • Nine different Rams combined for 11 hits, compared to GMU's 14 base knocks, just one of which was for extra bases.
  • VCU left 10 runners on base, while the Patriots stranded 11.
  • George Mason got 3-for-4 performances from Yogie Hartigan and Kamron Smith, who scored three and two runs, respectively.
  • Jared Lyons earned the win on the mound for the Patriots with seven strikeouts across five innings on 107 pitches. Freshman Chase Hungate was tabbed for the loss after surrendering three runs on six hits in three innings of relief. Chad Gartland notched a four-inning save, allowing two runs and striking out five.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • With the wind blowing out to left, Haydak pulled the third pitch of the game over the left field wall for a leadoff home run.
  • In the second inning, after graduate catcher Jacob Selden and redshirt sophomore center fielder Scottie O'Bryan walked in front of him, Haydak launched his second home run of the day to left center, pushing the VCU advantage to 4-0.
  • After pulling a run back in the bottom of the second, GMU scored three in the fourth to tie the game at 4-4.
  • The Patriots took the lead in the fifth by scoring an unearned run on a wild pitch, then added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth to make it 7-4.
  • Redshirt sophomore third baseman Tyler Locklear led off the ninth with a double down the left field line, then back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from Carlone and redshirt sophomore left fielder Cooper Benzin cut the lead to 7-6. Gartland struck out Casey Gibbs to end the game.
 
NOTABLE
  • This was the first multi-home run game of Haydak's VCU career, and the second by a Ram this season (Locklear vs. Lafayette, Feb. 19). He also extended his hitting streak to four games, three of which have been multi-hit games, and in all of which he's scored runs.
  • Benzin extended his reached base streak to 13 games, while sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak extended his hitting streak to five.
 
UP NEXT
The Rams and Patriots play the second game of a three-game set Saturday, April 2 at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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