BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham-Southern baseball team suffered defeat in their opening game of the NCAA DIII Baseball Tournament. 

The first inning was scoreless, but the Pioneers opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a solo homer to right field. The Panthers could not respond with a run and went scoreless through the first three innings of the game. 

In the top of the fourth, Lewis & Clark got the bases loaded and doubled their lead on a walk to make the score 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers cut into the deficit on an Eli Steadman sac fly to make the score 2-1. 

However, Lewis & Clark would continue their hot hitting on the day and stretch their lead in the fifth inning. Two solo home gave the Pioneers a 4-1 lead, and BSC would continue to struggle at the plate. The Panthers could not get things going and were not able to respond to the Lewis & Clark homers. The next three innings were scoreless, but in the top of the ninth inning, the Pioneers hit a three-run homer to give the Panthers a tough six-run deficit heading into the last plate appearances. BSC would not be able to climb back and fell to Lewis & Clark 7-1 in the first game of the double elimination regional.  

Records
#1 Birmingham-Southern 36-10, #4 Lewis & Clark 31-12

Up next
The Panthers will play in the Birmingham Regional elimination game tomorrow, May 20 at 11 a.m. against Franklin College at Striplin Field.