Jackson, Tenn. – The Maryville University baseball team opened the 2018 season with a split against Union University as they dropped game one of the three game series, 7-6 at Fesmire Field in Jackson, Tenn. The Saints bounced back in the nightcap to defeat the Bulldogs, 9-5. The victory marked the first win for new head coach Bryan Neidbalski.
 
Game One:
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the second inning with a single run and extended the lead to 2-0 in the sixth. The Saints got things going in the seventh as Drake Lubin singled to center field to score Camdon Mercier from second to cut the Union lead to 2-1. The Bulldogs tacked on three runs in the home half of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 5-1. After the Saints placed runners on second and third in the eighth inning, Tyler Catlett smashed a single to right field to cut the Bulldog lead to 5-3. Maryville added another run in the inning as Mercier laced an RBI single up the middle to get the Saints to within a run at 5-4. Union added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 7-4, but the Saints were not done yet. After Maryville placed a pair of runners on with two outs, Connor Markell drilled a double to right center field to cut the Bulldog lead to 7-6 with two outs. Union got out of the jam by forcing a ground out to secure the win.
 
Winning Pitcher: JR Miller – 2-0
Save: Skyler Harrison - 1
Losing Pitcher: #Alec Harris – 0-1
Hitting leaders: Daniel Covert - 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, one run scored
                         Mercier – 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 2B
 
Game Two:
The Bulldogs grabbed an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Saints bounced back in the top of the second as Daniel Covert and Zack Ruckman drilled back-to-back homers to cut the Union lead to 3-2. After the Bulldogs plated two more runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead, the Saints took control of the game in the fourth inning. Maryville opened the fourth with three consecutive singles to cut the Bulldog lead to 5-4 and took the lead in the fifth as Ruckman hit his second homer of the contest to drive in three runs that gave the Saints a 7-5 lead. Domonic Connolly gave the Saints insurance in the top of the seventh as he hit a single that drove in two runs to extend the lead to 9-5.
 
 Winning Pitcher: Andrew Peters – 1-0
Save: None
Losing Pitcher: Scott Shearer – 1-1
Hitting leaders: Ruckman – 3-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI's, four runs scored
                            Covert – 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI's, two runs scored
 
Records:
Maryville – 1-1
Union – 3-2
 
Up Next - Maryville concludes their trip to Jackson tomorrow as the Saints take on Union in single game set to start at noon.