MYRTLE BEACH, SC — The Mary Washington Eagles spoiled the Houghton Highlanders' opening day, sweeping a double-header with a dramatic comeback game one win, 3-2, and a blowout, 19-4, nightcap victory.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Houghton – 2 | Mary Washington – 3
Game 2 Score: Mary Washington – 19 | Norwich – 4
Records: Houghton: 0-2 | Mary Washington: 6-2
Venue: Griffith Field, The Ripken Experience | Attendance: 80/72
 
Game 1: Houghton starter Ethan Cetton locked horns with Mary Washington's Justin Ritz, dueling to a scoreless tie through the first five innings.
 
In the top of the sixth, Qingyang Feng led off by crushing a ball over the right-center wall to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead.  However, Feng was called out because he did not touch home plate, negating the run.
 
The next batter, Vincent Lucyszyn, promptly deposited a moonshot over the left-center wall, and Christian Tortorici followed a batter later with an opposite field blast, giving the Highlanders a 2-0 lead. (Both Lucyszyn and Tortorici touched home plate.)
 
That lead, however, would prove short-lived.  With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Cetton hit a batter, and Noah Roots tied the game with a home run to right.  Following a walk, Ty Lowe gave the Eagles the lead with a long triple to centerfield. 
 
Kanta Ueno hit a one-out single in the seventh, but the Highlanders logged back-to-back strikeouts, stranding Ueno and ending the game.
 

Game 2:  An error-laden, 10-run second inning, wiped away a 2-0 Houghton lead, and the Highlanders never recovered. 
 
Mary Washington would tack on seven more in the top of the seventh, walking away with a 19-4 victory.
 
KEY STATS:
>> In Game One, the Highlanders outhit the Eagles, 7-5, and did not commit an error.
 
>> In Game Two, the Eagles outhit the Highlanders, 14-6, while Houghton committed five fielding errors.
 
>> Lucyszyn finished the day 3-for-7 with a homerun, stolen base and two runs scored.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"The first game was bitter-sweet.  We competed well enough to win, but walked away with a loss to a very good team.
 
"We need to put the second game behind us.  We had two very ugly innings.  If we execute and play to a standard, we'll be fine.  If we stray, we'll have games like that. 
 
"I'm looking forward to Monday." – Head Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders return to action on Monday, when they will play the Valley Forge Patriots at 1:00 p.m. in the Polo Grounds.