Fairfax, Va.- Senior Brandon Williams' fifth double of the season was one of just four hits by the Georgia State baseball team Sunday as the Panthers yielded only three runs but fell by a 3-1 score in their Colonial Athletic Association series finale to George Mason at Spuhler Field.
Williams finished with two hits on the day but the offense managed only one run on an RBI groundout by Jonathan Kolowich.
The Panther pitching staff stranded 12 Patriots on the bases and the GSU defense played errorless baseball, however one run in the fourth and two in the fifth were enough for the Patriots to seal the win.
GSU fell to 5-4 in the CAA and 13-16 overall while Mason reached 6-6 in the league with the win and 18-11 on the season.
"We fought hard today and made a lot of good plays," said Panthers head coach Greg Frady. "We hit the ball hard but not to the right places. If we keep playing hard, our season will take care of itself and the positive results will work out over time."
GSU starter Max Schmitz tossed four innings, yielding three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
The Patriots pushed the game's first run across in the fourth after a bases-loaded single. Schmitz stopped further damage by starting a double play from pitcher to catcher and on to first to end the inning.
In the next inning, the Patriots managed just one hit but scored on a double play and a wild pitch to claim a 3-0 lead.
Drew Shields was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth and was moved to third on Williams' double. He came in to score on an RBI groundout by Kolowich as the Panthers trimmed the deficit to two.
Pitchers Jake Dyer and Aidan McLaughlin combined for three-plus innings of effective relief, keeping the Panthers close with three strikeouts.
GSU could not muster a baserunner however over the final three innings as Mason closer Chris O'Grady picked up his sixth save of the season.
The series was closely contested all weekend, with each team scoring 12 runs over the three games. Greg Bowder and Brandon Williams each finished the series 5-for-11 while Kolowich and Kody Adams had four RBIs apiece.
It was the Panthers' first trip to Spuhler Field since 2008.
GSU returns to Atlanta and hosts Alabama State Wednesday at 5 p.m. before playing a three-game series at Hofstra, Friday through Sunday.
