BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 12th ranked Birmingham-Southern baseball team capped off opening weekend by splitting a doubleheader. In the first game, the Panthers beat #5 East Texas Baptist University 9-4. The Panthers' bats were hot as they tallied 15 hits. BSC fell in the second game to defending national champions Lynchburg by a score of 10-3.

Game one
The Panthers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Jakob Zito doubled, scoring Andrew Dutton. BSC extended the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second with RBI singles from Jackson Webster and Ian Hancock.

ETBU cut the lead down to 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but the Panthers answered with a five-run inning, highlighted by a 3 run home run from Freshman Parker Ladd.

Drake LaRoche (1-0) earned the win on the bump for the Panthers. It's the first of his BSC career. Tams Mullins closed the game out, pitching the final 1.2 innings.

Jackson Webster and Jakob Zito led the charge on offense going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI's each. Ty Truett and Eli Steadman also had 3 hits in the game. 

Records
#12 Birmingham-Southern 2-0, #5 ETBU 2-1

Game two
BSC started the scoring in the bottom of the second with an RBI by Andrew Dutton. Lynchburg tied the game in the top of the third with a home run. In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers went back up 2-1 after another RBI by Dutton.

Lynchburg took over the game after that, scoring nine unanswered runs. The Panthers' play in the field certainly didn't help as they committed five errors in the game. One bright spot in the bottom of the ninth for BSC was a solo home run that was ripped to left field by Jackson Webster. That brought us to a final score of 10-3.

Records
#12 Birmingham-Southern 2-1, #6 Lynchburg 1-1

Up next
The Panthers will play at home again next weekend as they face LaGrange, Wheaton (Ill.), and Adrian in the Birmingham-Southern Classic.