Play within the Atlantic 10 baseball conference starts this weekend as teams close out their out-of-conference schedules. Richmond and George Mason have separated themselves as the best teams in the league so far, as both the Spiders and Patriots come into league play above .500. Their talented rosters and championship promise will be tested in the last two months of this season. Here’s a look into their midweek games and where they’ll go next.

George Mason vs. Duke (March 11-12)

The Patriots had their hands full, battling from behind in both games. The two games, both 6-3 losses for George Mason, look very similar from the outside. On second look however, Duke won two very different games. The first of the series came at the hands of a couple of George Mason mistakes, while the other was a 15-pitcher showstopper.

Untimely mistakes from the Patriots gave the Blue Devils the win on March 11. Three free bases started Duke’s three-run inning in the bottom of the first, starting with a hit-by pitch and two walks. Third baseman Ben Miller tacked on Duke’s third run with some savvy base-running. George Mason struck back with a homer in the third from Owen Hull to cut the Blue Devil lead to two. Both teams got to their bullpens before the fourth inning, settling the game to its inevitable 6-3 score. It was an uneasy game for both teams, with most of the outs coming from the field.

The second game in this two-parter kicked off right where the last one ended. A total of 8 runners left on base in the first two innings left both teams frustrated. Right-handed senior Britt Yount gave up the first run of the game as Miller hit his second homer of the series. The Patriots’ Toby Hueber responded the next inning, tying the game 2-2. The dagger for Duke in game two came off the bat of Tyler Albright, who homered to left in the bottom of the fourth, his fourth of the season. Solo shots pushed the game to the eventual 6-3 finish.

George Mason falls to 11-6 on the season and had its nine-game win streak ended by Duke. The Patriots will look to regain momentum against their next foe Dayton in their first A-10 matchup of the year.

Longwood vs. Richmond 

Richmond beat up on Longwood to pick up its eighth straight win. The Spiders have momentum on their side going into league play and it showed against the Lancers. Big innings were their key to success and their four-man staff only walked one batter, keeping Longwood’s offense at bay the whole game.

Justin Gunter took the mound in the second inning for the Lancers and instantly fell into trouble. The right-hander from Virginia gave up a grand slam to the Spiders Jack Arcamone, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Gunter gave up another four runs over the course of two and one-third innings pitched.

Four players had multiple hit games, and the Spiders accumulated seven total runs via the long ball. Richmond showcased explosive baseball at its finest, hitting the cover off the ball early in the count. The Spiders, particularly Arcamone and catcher Micheal Elko, will look to continue to roll on into league play. The clear A-10 favorites will look to continue their now eight-game win streak against St. Bonaventure this weekend.

Matchups to watch in the A-10

St Bonaventure vs. Richmond (March 14-16)

Dayton vs. George Mason (March 14-15)

Umass vs. Davidson (March 14-16)

Fordham vs. George Washington (March 14-16)

Matt Ford-Wellman can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @MattFW_4