The Eastern University baseball team faced a tough Gwynedd-Mercy squad for their home opener on Thursday. The Griffins won the PAC last year, and return plenty of talent, and their bats hurt the Eagles early on the way to a 17-8 win.

The Eagles got two RBI each from Ramon Reyes and Chris Dole, but the Griffin attack put the Eastern pitchers under pressure from the opening moments of the game and never let up. Gwynedd struck for four runs in the first and two more in the second before the Eagles managed to score a pair on a bases loaded single from Dole in the bottom of the second. 

Gwynedd came back with four in the top of the third, three in the top of the fourth and a pair in the top of the fifth before the Eagles could scratch again. Andrew Reynolds drove in Jim Crowley with a single and then scored when Reyes belted a home run. 

Nick Ruiz came on in the top of the sixth and held the Griffins to a single tally in that half inning and allowed just a pair of runs over the final four, and the Eagles again mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, but pushed just three runs across. Phil Clark and Scott Renauro each had RBI singles in the inning.

The Eagles will return to action Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader at Widener.