AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Minnesota Duluth got into some big trouble in its baseball season opener and couldn't quite get out of it, losing 8-7 to Gannon to begin its spring trip to Florida.
The Bulldoga held a 5-2 lead through six innings but gave up six runs in the bottom of the seventh, and though they scored in their last two at-bats, Gannon escaped a bases-loaded, one-out situation with the win.
Alex Wattermann and Jack Puder's homers helped UMD get out to the early lead but in the seventh, Gannon managed six runs on four hits and two errors, including a three-run, game-tying shot by Dylan Gamber, who came all the way around in the order to make the last out of the inning.
Watermann doubled in Puder to make it 8-6 in the eighth and Puder recorded a one-out sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth to make it a one-run game, but Wattermann popped up to end the ballgame.
UMD had 13 hits, with Wattermann going 3-for-5 and the four players preceding him in the order recording two hits apiece.
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Connor Nygard tok the loss in relief after Chad Fox started and went six-plus innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits, walking four and striking out four.
UMD (0-1) plays two games vs. Tiffin on Saturday afternoon.
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