SAUGET, IL - The Benedictine University baseball team opened the 2017 season with a pair of losses at Webster University.

FINAL SCORES
Webster 1, Benedictine 0
North Park 8, Benedictine 1

THE DETAILS
• A three-game season opening sting kicked off with a pitcher's duel against a perennial national power in the hosts, Webster University
• The teams combined for just six total hits
• Benedictine stranded seven men in scoring position in the opening contest
• The trend started in the very first inning against a projected early round draft pick
• Anthony Woodard reached on a one-out walk and reached second when Chayancze Stirbis reached on an error
• Back-to-back strikeouts ended the potential threat
• Benedictine left runners in six different innings
• The only run of the game scored in the bottom of the eighth
• Joe Palasiewicz tossed seven shutout innings in a no-decision, allowing just two hits with three walks and five strikeouts
• In the second game North Park, playing for the eighth time this season, scored five runs in the top of the first
• Erik Callaghan walked to open the fifth, stole second, moved up on an error and scored the only run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Nick Severino
• North Park padded the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to account for the final
• Benedictine notched eight hits in the second game but stranded eight on base

STAT LEADERS
• Woodard notched two of the three hits in the opener
• Ivan Guzman suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run in the eighth
• Playing as the home team in the second contest, Nicholas Quick and Callaghan each picked up a pair of hits
• James Wright took the loss in the second contest, working four innings
• Guzman allowed two runs in 3.2 innings of relief
• Benedictine struck out 13 times in the opener and 11 times in game two

UP NEXT
Benedictine (0-2) finishes the season opening stint with another game against Webster on Monday