WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jeff Hatcher hurled eight strong innings and Jes Snyder had three hits and three runs batted in as No. 24 UNC Wilmington upended George Mason, 8-3, to win the rubber game of a Colonial Athletic Association baseball series on Sunday at Brooks Field.

The Seahawks improved to 20-3-1 in conference play and to 35-11-1 overall. The Patriots, who clinched a spot in the upcoming CAA Tournament on Saturday, fell to 25-23 and 15-10.

Hatcher, a senior, remained perfect on the season at 5-0 after allowing three runs on eight hits while matching his season high with eight innings pitcher. He walked none and struck out five.

Sophomore Dan Gerjets (5-2) suffered his second loss of the season, lasting just four innings and giving up six runs, five earned, on five hits and three walks.

Senior Mark Carver, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, gave the Seahawks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a RBI double down the left field line that scored sophomore Bobby Leeper, who drew a lead off walk.

Junior Scott Krieger opened GMU’s second inning being hit by a Hatcher pitch and sophomore Josh Steinberg, who led the Patriots with three hits, followed with a single to center, sending Krieger around to third. Sophomore Mark Hill then grounded into a double play, but Krieger scored to tie the game.

UNCW plated four runs in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. Freshman Alex Hill, the reigning CAA Rookie-of-the-Week, knocked in a run with a double and Snyder drilled a 2-run shot, his sixth of the season, to left center.

Senior Jason Appel led off the fifth with a walk and Carver tripled him in off sophomore reliever Ryan Brecko. Freshman pinch hitter Cody Stanley singled in Carver to make it 7-1. Snyder then knocked in his third run of the game with a single to center to score Stanley and give UNCW an 8-1 lead.

Steinberg collected his third of the game leading off the seventh and Hill singled through the leftside to put runners on first and second with none out. Hatcher was able to settled down though, retiring the next two batters on foul pop outs and senior Spencer Wiggins on a line out to right.

Krieger connected on his 14th homer of the season, a 2-run to right center, in the eight to move the Patriots to within 8-3 and close out the scoring.

UNCW closes out a 9-game homestand on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. start against nationally-ranked NC State.

Notes: Jason Appel saw his hitting streak halted at 12 games, its was just the fifth time he went hitless in a game this season ... Mark Carver had two runs batted in, giving him 70 on the season and moving him to within three of tying the school single-season record ... The Seahawks improved to 22-4 at home ... Jes Snyder raised his batting average to .344 ... Freshman Cody Stanley now owns UNCW’s longest current hitting streak at seven games.