CONWAY, S.C. ? Presbyterian College opened play in the Centex Homes Invitational on Friday with a 5-2 loss to No. 25 Michigan at Watson Stadium.
The Blue Hose are now 5-8 on the season, while Michigan is 6-5 on the year.
Cory Lyda (Simpsonville, S.C.) led the Blue Hose in the loss to the Wolverines, going 3-for-4 with one run scored. He was the only Blue Hose player in the contest with multiple hits. PC Freshman Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) had a team-best two RBIs in the game.
The PC pitching staff allowed Michigan just five hits in the contest.
Mitchell Odom (Oconee, Ga.) started the game on the hill for the Blue Hose and took the loss. Odom (1-1) struck out three and gave up just three hits in six innings of work. Andrew Cockerham (Millers Creek, N.C.) relieved Odom, pitching the final two innings and fanning three.
PC opened up the game by taking a very early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Robbie Anders (Greenville, S.C.) got things going for PC offensively in the first stanza when he hit his first triple of the year.
Horton then brought home Anders on a ground out to the Michigan third baseman.
The Wolverines plated two in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. The two runs were picked up on a two-run home run by Nate Recknagel.
Michigan added two more in the fourth and one in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh to go up 5-1.
The Blue Hose added one final run in the top of the eighth when Horton singled down the left field line to collect his second RBI of the day. Horton's single scored Lyda, who had hit a bunt single to get on the bases.
Michael Powers pitched the final one and two-thirds of an inning for Michigan to acquire his first save of the year. Powers struck out two of three batters in the ninth to pick up the save.
Travis Smith pitched seven innings for Michigan to tally his first win of the year. He struck out two and allowed five of PC's seven hits in the game.
The Blue Hose close out the Centex Homes Invitational with two games against the MAC's Ball State.
The Blue Hose will first play Ball State at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. They will then close out their weekend by squaring off against Ball State at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 16.
Both of PC's games against Ball State in the Centex Homes Invitational will be able to be followed through live stats on Coastal Carolinas official website, www.goccusports.com.
The Blue Hose return home for the first time since March 2 after the Centex Homes Invitational for two games against the Ivy League's Yale at the PC Baseball Complex. The two teams will play the first game of the two-game series at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 and then will finish the series with a 2 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 19.
