AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Minnesota Morris baseball team opened their eight-day Florida excursion Monday with a game against Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham. Sam Melchior tossed seven solid innings, but the Cougars fell, 4-2.

The Cougars spotted the Devils two first-inning runs. They scored single runs in the second and third to tie the contest at 2. Brady Jergenson started the second with a double down the right field line. He was sacrified over to third then scored on a Mitch Baumann sacrifice fly.

In the third, Zach Kuefler hit a one-out single to right center. Jackson Gessell followed with a single to move Kuefler to third. Blaise Fairbanks delivered another sacrifice fly to plate Kuefler to tie the game.

FDU-Florham regained their lead by scoring two in the fourth to take a lead they would not relinquish.

The Cougars had runners as far as third base in the sixth and eighth innings, but were unable to score.

Melchior struck out eight. Gessell picked up two hits.

Minnesota Morris (0-3) plays a doubleheader tomorrow against Lesley.