In their 2018-19 debut this afternoon at Cairn University, Gordon College Baseball was swept by the host Highlanders, coming out on the losing end of a 4-1 result in game one and 9-6 result in game two.

Game One

• Derek Hudson faced 17 batters in 4.0 innings, giving up five hits and a pair of earned runs. Sam Dralle (Sr./Bowling Green, Ky.) picked up his first win on the year with a two-hitter in a solid five innings.
• Gordon's Sam Schetelich registered his first collegiate hit, singling up the middle to center field to lead off the top of the second. He quickly put himself into scoring position after a wild pitch, but the Cairn defense had senior starter Dralle's back to strand Schetelich at third.
• In the top of the fourth, Christian Hodge doubled to right field to bring momentum to the Fighting Scots' effort. Shortly after, Brennen Korsak reached on an error by the third baseman to score Hodge for the Scots' first run of the game. 
• Cairn answered back in the bottom half, though, as Caleb Edman (Fr./Nokesville, Va.) started the hit parade with a triple down the right field line. Michael Sorowice (Fr./Wilmington, Del.) doubled Edman in, tying the game at one and later scored on a fielder's choice to take the lead, 2-1.
• The home team plated another two insurance runs in the fifth for the eventual 4-1 victory.

Game Two

• Gordon starter Joe Pedulla took the loss, surrendering six hits and four earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. Cairn's Carson Conradt (So./Chino Hills, Calif.) got the win after going 5.0 innings with three strikeouts.
• Cairn crossed home in the first, second, and third, with a trio of unearned runs to take the 3-0 lead going into the fourth.
• Called in to pinch hit to lead off the fourth, junior Bradley Welch made the most of his at bat, going yard to put his Scots on the board.
• The Highlanders responded by raking in six runs in the home side of the fourth, capped off by a three-run dinger to establish a healthy 9-1 lead. 
• Forced to play catch up, the Scots' Matt Paulsen led off the sixth with a single to center and eventually scored on a fielder's choice from Alex Park. They made things even more interesting in their final at bat of the seventh, as Hodge connected for his first hit of the game to lead off and used his speed to advance to second. Paulsen then doubled in Hodge with his third hit of the game to close the gap to 9-3.
• With runners on the corners, Justin Johnson launched one over the outfield fence to draw the Scots within three, but that was all the offense they could muster, leaving Cairn to claim the three-run W.

Beyond The Box Score

• Gordon's Bradley Welch and Justin Johnson both hit their first collegiate career homeruns in game two.
• The Scots look to bounce back on March 4 as they face North Shore rival Salem State University in a non-conference duel. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.