CLARKSVILLE, Ark. - In a high-scoring battle, Westminster baseball fell 15-11 in the season opener at University of the Ozarks. The second game of the day was postponed in the top of the ninth due to darkness and will resume Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the first inning with a three-run homer and a double to make the score 4-0 after one frame.
An RBI single from Zach Eisenreich in the second gave the Blue Jays the first run of the season, followed by third inning which produced seven more runs for Westminster.
Ryan Clavin and Branden Beeler opened the inning with back-to-back singles, followed by a flyout from Ryan Klimkiewicz to advance the runners. Will Stonecipher reached first on an error, allowing Clavin to score the first run of the inning. Hayden Hirschvogel tallied his first collegiate RBI by driving in Beeler on a single to right, and Robert Shifrin kept the rally going with an RBI single to center to score Stonecipher, tying the game at four runs apiece.
Devin Masek reached first after getting hit by a pitch to load the bases for Eisenreich, who came through with another clutch single and his second RBI of the game, scoring Hirschvogel.
Clavin then cleared the bases with a double to complete the inning with seven runs, putting Westminster on top 8-6.
The Eagles answered with two runs of the own in the third, but Westminster picked up where they left off in the fourth with two solo homeruns, one from Klimkiewicz and one from Hirschvogel. The Eagles continued to gain on the Blue Jays, adding two runs in the bottoms of the inning to put Westminster up 10-8.
Beeler scored the last Blue Jay run in the fifth with a double to score Clavin, but a massive fifth inning from the Eagles which included seven runs and a three-run homerun gave them the advantage and ultimately the win.
Ian Cassidy started on the mound for Westminster, pitching four innings and giving up eight runs, six earned, on eight hits. Braden Beasley took the loss after pitching 0.2 innings, giving up six runs on six hits.
Game two made it to the top of the ninth inning but was ultimately suspended with the Eagles on top 12-8. The game will continue Sunday at 1 p.m. followed by the third and final game of the series.
