FAIRFAX, Va. - The William and Mary baseball team fell Friday afternoon to George Mason, 5-4, in game one of its doubleheader.  After the College jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, Mason scored the game's final five runs en route to earning the victory. The loss drops W&M to 15-9 overall and 4-3 in CAA play, while GMU improves to 14-9 on the season and 3-4 in league action.

At the plate, junior second baseman Kevin Nutter went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Tribe offensively.  Senior left fielder Tadd Bower and classmate catcher Chris Forsten each recorded an RBI, while freshman first baseman Michael Katz finished the contest 2-for-4. 

Senior RHP Matt Davenport (4-1) took the loss after allowing just two earned runs in seven innings of work.  Junior RHP Brett Koehler worked an inning of relief and surrendered no runs on just one hit.  Junior LHP Chris O'Grady (1-0) notched the win for the Patriots, as he pitched two innings of relief, allowing no runs and only one hit. 

The College wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as it plated a run in the opening frame.  Nutter led things off with a single down the right field line and advanced to second on a Brown single to left field.  Sophomore third baseman Ryan Lindemuth then drove Nutter home after reaching base on a throwing error by the Mason shortstop.

W&M tacked on two more runs in the second, as it extended its advantage to 3-0.  Arcure led the frame off lacing a double down the right field line and later scored on a Forsten double down the left field line, giving the Green and Gold an early 2-0 lead.  After taking third on a wild pitch, Forsten scored W&M's third run of the contest after freshman right fielder Josh Smith reached first on another error by GMU's shortstop.

The Tribe continued its early offensive outburst with a run in the top half of the third.  Bower's double down the left field line scored Lindemuth from second, and gave W&M a 4-0 lead through two and a half innings of play.

Mason put a run across in the bottom of the third as it cut the margin to 4-1.  Second baseman Chris Cook grounded out to Katz, but in the process he plated senior catcher Jake Leonardo for the Patriot's first run of the affair.

Once again, GMU cut into the Tribe's lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth.  Junior center fielder Nick Allen drove in sophomore first baseman Mick Foley on a sacrifice fly to right field. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Mason scored two runs to tie the contest up at 4-4.  Senior Zach Helgeson made the score 4-3 after he crossed the plate on sophomore Blaise Fernandez's single to left field.  Foley then tied the game at 4-4 with a RBI single up the middle.

George Mason took the lead, 5-4, in the eighth when Fernandez plated right fielder Dan Schafferman with a single to center field. 

W&M loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the ninth but was unable to push across the tying run.

Tribe baseball returns action this afternoon as it plays game two of its doubleheader against George Mason with the first pitch from Spuhler Field scheduled for 3 p.m.  Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live stats.