FAIRFAIRFAX, Va. (Interstat) — George Mason defeated La Salle 10-4 on Friday afternoon at Spuhler Field, taking command with a five-run third inning and never trailing in the series opener.

The Patriots improved to 26-24 overall, while the Explorers dropped to 24-30.

George Mason struck first in the bottom of the first. Jack Morse singled, advanced on a passed ball and scored on Owen Clyne’s double to right-center. Clyne later stole home on a caught stealing of Lucas Alberti, giving the Patriots a 2-0 lead.

La Salle managed just one baserunner through the first three innings against George Mason starter Jake Drumm, who worked three scoreless frames. The Patriots broke the game open in the third. Morse and Clyne drew walks, and Alberti walked to load the bases. Jace Terry relieved La Salle starter Titus Shay. Luciano Terilli greeted Terry with a two-run single to left, scoring Morse and Clyne to tie the game at 2-2. Jake Butler followed with a single that plated Alberti and moved Terilli to third, with Butler taking second on a fielding error by the left fielder. Evan Blanchard walked to load the bases. Julius Bagnerise then reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, allowing Butler and Terilli to score, making it 7-0. Bagnerise stole second but was stranded.

The score remained 7-0 until the bottom of the seventh. Shawn Karpaitis, who had replaced Terry, gave up three runs. Alberti singled, and Terilli singled to right-center, driving in Alberti and advancing to second on the throw. Butler singled to left, and after stealing second, he scored on Evan Blanchard’s groundout. Bagnerise added a sacrifice fly to left to score Terilli, pushing the lead to 10-0.

La Salle finally broke through in the top of the eighth against Diego Cardenas. Jack Peper walked, and Daniel Perez walked. Chase Swain struck out, but Justin Szestowicki singled up the middle to score Peper. Carter Groen followed with a single to drive in Perez, cutting the deficit to 10-2. Carter Kelsey relieved Cardenas and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

In the ninth, Kosei Suzuki doubled to left for La Salle, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Jayden Novak’s sacrifice fly. Perez walked and later scored on Chase Swain’s single up the middle. But Justin Szestowicki popped out to end the game.

Butler finished with two hits and two runs, while Terilli had three hits and three RBIs for George Mason. Morse scored twice. For La Salle, Groen had two hits and two RBIs, and Swain drove in a run.

The game was the first of a three-game weekend series. La Salle had lost the previous meeting 17-5 on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of George Mason 7, La Salle 6, and the ELO system gave the Patriots a 64.40 percent probability to win.