The Aquinas baseball team fell in the first game in the two-game series against St. Andrews on Monday afternoon (Mar. 7) in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The Saints built up a come back to take a 6-5 lead in the seventh, but runs by the Knights in the seventh and eighth innings gave them the 7-6 win. AQ now has a record of 6-8 on the season, while SAU improves to 16-5.

It was the Saints the crossed the plate first in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Jake Paganelli singled and was able to bring in Braden Brown and Nathan Wilcox to score. Brown got on base after getting hit by a pitch before Wilcox worked a walk.

The Knights responded in the third inning by scoring on a passed ball and hitting a two-run home run to take a 3-2 lead. SAU extended its lead by two in the fourth, scoring on a fielder's choice and an AQ error.

Kyle Teachworth toed the rubber for Aquinas to begin the game and pitched five innings in the no decision. Teachworth allowed five runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out three Knights.

A Kelvin Aracena RBI single in the sixth got the Saints back within two as Nathan Hughes came around to cross the plate after walking to lead-off the inning. AQ's big inning came in the seventh as three runs were scored to take a 6-5 lead. Hughes smacked a double to bring around Grant Martin for one run. A single by Braden Nawrocki plated Dane Smitz and a double by Wilcox scored Nathan Myers for the go-ahead run.

However, the Knights were able to score one run in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 7-6 lead and ultimately win the game

Garrett Cheslek relieved Teachworth in the sixth inning and dropped to 1-1 on the season after giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits, a walk, and an error, while striking out two.

Wilcox went 3-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Nawrocki also finished with a multi-hit game, while Paganelli registered two RBI.

Aquinas will finish up the two-game series against St. Andrews tomorrow (Mar. 8), beginning at 12:00 PM.