PHILADELPHIA – Senior Austin Constantini posted career highs across the board in his final start on the mound, but the La Salle University baseball team dropped a close 5-3 Atlantic 10 contest to George Mason at Hank DeVincent Field on Thursday.

Constantini threw 137 pitches and racked up seven strikeouts over 7.2 innings of work, all career bests for the right-hander.

Junior Ben Faso was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a run, an RBI, a double and a walk. With the four hits, Faso now ranks tied for sixth on the program's single season hits list with 73, while the double moves him into a tie for seventh on the team's single season doubles list with 17.

George Mason got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third inning to go on top 2-0.

La Salle answered in the fifth inning, scoring a pair of their own to tie the game at two apiece. After a single by junior Peyton Sorrels and a double by Faso, senior Brian Dudeck lined one off the pitcher, as Sorrels came in to score on an RBI infield single. Sophomore Dylan Evans then lifted a fly ball to left field, allowing Faso to cross the plate for the tying run on the RBI sacrifice fly.

The Explorers had two opportunities to take the lead with runners on first and second in the sixth inning and men on second and third in the seventh, but La Salle couldn't capitalize. In the eighth inning, the Patriots took advantage of an error that led to three unearned runs, highlighted by an RBI triple by Michael Smith.

Trailing 5-2, La Salle cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the ninth, as Faso drove home pinch runner Jack Cucinotta on a single to center. The Explorers threatened with the tying run at the plate, but Brian Marconi (4-1) retired the final two batters to end it, 5-3.

Sophomore Ryan Guckin went 2-for-3 with a walk, while Sorrels was 2-for-5 with a run. Junior Connor Hinchliffe recorded two strikeouts over 1.1 scoreless innings in relief of Constantini.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Friday at 1 p.m., weather permitting.