ST. DAVIDS, Pa.— A few early runs proved to be too much to overcome as Eastern University Baseball dropped a tough 3-2 decision in the series opener to the visiting Stevenson University Mustangs. The Eastern bullpen did not allow a Mustang hit in the final five innings, but the guests converted a lead-off walk in the fourth inning to a run that made the difference.

Stevenson (10-9, 3-7) swung early against Eastern starter Graham Adams who was in trouble in each of the first two innings. The first three Mustangs reached in each of the first two innings. Adams somehow limited the guests to just single tallies in each. In the first, a run came in and the Mustangs moved two runners into scoring position with a squibber back to the mound. Adams got out of the jam on a smash back to the mound that he caught and fired to second before the trail runner returned to the bag.

The Eagles (17-8, 5-5)  had their first two runners reach in the bottom of the inning. Trent MacDougall singled to right center and Luke Meehan reached on a ball to third. MacDougall beat the throw to second. MacDougall then scored on a failed pick-off move that had Meehan at second with no one out. With one out, Matt McSorley hit a ball into the right field corner that appeared to hit on the line. With the base umpire in the middle of the infield, the home plate umpire called the ball foul and McSorley was down in the count. He wound up striking out and the Eagles settled for one.

The first two Mustangs in the second reached on singles and the bases loaded up on a hit-by-pitch. Stevenson took the lead back on a sacrifice fly to deep center. Adams got a foul out and a strike out to escape further damage, but the level of contact by the guests had the Eastern bullpen up early.

After the Eagles went quietly in the second, Brady Maerz worked around a lead-off walk and single in the third. The Mustangs used an out to bunt the two runners over, but Maerz escaped more damage with a strikeout and a ground out.

After a one-out double from MacDougall, the Eagles found a run on a two-out single from Matt Gonglik. The game, however, did not stayed tied for long. A lead-off walk and a single down the right-field line put runners on the corners with no outs. While that hit turned out to be the last of the day for the guests, the Mustangs got the run home on a ground ball up the middle.

The way the game started, it seemed unlikely that the score would stay at 3-2, but that lead proved to be enough.

The Eagles had a great chance against a Stevenson reliever in the seventh with runners on second and third with only one away. The Stevenson bench elected to walk MacDougall to load the bases and brought in their top reliever, Jake Treasure, to pitch to Luke Meehan. The hard-throwing lefty got Meehan to pop-up to second and beat Matt Gonglik inside on a 2-2 pitch. Thomas Kozlusky singled with one out in the eighth, but a perfect throw caught him stealing and the Eagles saw that rally die.

Maerz allowed just the one earned run in 4.2 innings, and Owen DeLong and Peter Mellana combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless ball, but the Mustang bullpen was just a little better as Treasure struck out five over 2.2 innings to earn the save.

The loss puts a little pressure on the Eagles for Saturday as they will travel to Stevenson for a doubleheader. The Eagles had beaten Stevenson in six straight games coming into today.