SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team opened the 2022 season at Russell C. King Field with game one of a three-game set with George Mason. After the Patriots exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning, the Terriers would chip away to pull within one run after the seventh but could not quite get enough, dropping an 11-10 contest.
 
Matthew Marchal received the loss for the Terriers in his first start of the campaign. The junior hurled 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and six runs (only four earned). He fanned three and walked one. Dom Agron struck out three in 1.2 innings of relief, allowing four runs (only two earned). Carter Bailey and Dalton Rhadans each tossed 2.0 innings. Bailey tallied his first-career strikeout in a scoreless outing. Rhadans recorded four punchouts out of the bullpen and surrendered just one run.
 
The win went to Matthew Henson of George Mason in 0.2 innings of relief. Chad Gartland pitched the final 3.1 innings for the Patriots to record his first save of the season, though giving up four runs.
 
Ryan Galanie led the way for Wofford at the dish with two home runs. Not only was this his first multi-homer game, the dingers were the first of his career. The junior reached base in all five of his plate appearances, tallying four hits and a walk with 2 RBI and three runs scored. Brennen Dorighi also contributed two RBI with his one-hit night.
 
Nolen Hester, Lawson Hill, John Dempsey, Gunnar Johnson and Ben Schulte each knocked in a run during the contest. Hill was 2-4 at the plate to record Wofford's only other multi-hit performance alongside Galanie. The senior catcher also recorded a walk.
 
George Mason struck first in the top of the third inning with an RBI single to right field for the early 1-0 lead.
 
Wofford did not let it last long, jumping ahead in the bottom of the frame. Zeb Roos recorded a free pass, and Ben Schulte drove him home with a double in his first at-bat as a Terrier. Schulte would score on a Nolen Hester groundout to put Wofford in front 2-1.
 
The top of the fourth inning saw the Patriots' bats come to life. They retook the lead with a nine-run inning, batting around and sending 14 batters to the plate. When the dust settled after over thirty minutes on offense, George Mason led 10-2.
 
But Wofford did not relent, determined to keep fighting. Ryan Galanie launched a homer in the bottom of the inning to provide some life for the Terriers. It was the first of his career and the first for the Terriers this season.
 
Wofford kept chipping away with a couple more runs in the fifth. Hester opened the frame with a double, and Jack Renwick reached after a Patriot error. Lawson Hill then stepped up to the plate and delivered a double to bring Hester home. Renwick then scored on a groundout to cut the deficit in half. Wofford trailed, 10-5.
 
Galanie and Roos opened the sixth with a single and walk, respectively. An error followed by a double play allowed Galanie to come around and score Wofford's sixth run.
 
With three runs in the seventh inning, the Terriers pulled within one score of the Patriots. Hill opened the inning with a single, and Dorighi brought him home with a triple to right field. John Dempsey then brought him in with an RBI groundout. Next, Galanie blasted his second long ball of the night to make the score 10-9, with the Terriers right on George Mason's heels.
 
The Patriots would grab an all-important insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single to right field. The lead stood at two entering Wofford's final attempt to comeback.
 
The Terriers gave their best effort, though, as Dempsey dropped a single just fair inside the left field line with two outs. Marshall Toole came in to pinch run, and he advanced to second after Galanie drew a walk. Gunnar Johnson was brought in to pinch hit, and he came up clutch with a single to left field to score Toole and bring Wofford within one run once more. However, the comeback would fall just short after a force out, and George Mason held on to win out, 11-10.
 
Wofford will take the field for game two of the series tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Terriers are slated to start Josh Vitus, while Mason Posey is set to take the hill for the Patriots. The series then concludes with a 1:00 p.m. affair Sunday afternoon.