DAVENPORT, Fla. – After a delay to open their season, the University of Minnesota Morris baseball team dropped a pair of contests against Dominican University on Thursday. The Stars emerged with 7-2 and 4-3 wins in the two 7-inning games.

Play continues tomorrow for Minnesota Morris with a single 9-inning contest against Plattsburgh State in Lakeland beginning at 12 p.m. (EST).

Game One: Dominican 7, Minnesota Morris 2
Minnesota Morris took a lead after the first inning, but Dominican came back to lead by the third and pulled away late to get the win.

The Stars scored on a RBI groundout in the top of the first, but Minnesota Morris came right back in the bottom half to take a 2-1 edge. Joe Pelle was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then stole second. A single from Alex Baumann moved him to third and Tyler Scheler tied the score with a single into left. After Scheler and Baumann pulled off a double-steal, Ben Meuser hit a RBI groundout to drive in Baumann.

With one on and one down in the top of the third, Garrett Wano blasted a two-run homer to put Dominican ahead. The Stars added another run before the inning was done with a fielder's choice grounder.

Minnesota Morris went down quietly in the third and fourth innings. The Cougars had a pair aboard in the fifth but Dominican was able to escape unscathed. The Stars tacked on another run in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead and scored two unearned runs in the seventh for a 7-2 advantage. 

Brian Vanyo was tagged with the loss in the opener, while relievers Joey Reinarts and William Loesch pitched 2.0 innings apiece. The Cougars had one hit apiece from top-of-the-order hitters Pelle, Baumann, and Scheler, plus one from Keegan Jonas and Logan Graves as well.

Game Two: Dominican 4, Minnesota Morris 3
Minnesota Morris took a 3-0 lead after the top of the third, but Dominican came back with two runs apiece in the bottom of the third and fifth innings to complete the doubleheader sweep.

The Cougars jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the first. Pelle singled and stole second before Baumann drew a walk. Scheler singled in Pelle and Meuser connected on a sacrifice fly to bring Baumann home. 

After Nathen Carlin sat Dominican down in order in the first and worked out of some trouble in the second, Minnesota Morris added to its lead in the third inning. Pelle was once again at the center of it, drawing a walk and then stealing second and third before coming home on a sac fly from Baumann for a 3-0 lead.

Dominican got back in it in the bottom half, collecting three hits and capitalizing on a UMN Morris error to cut the deficit to 3-2. 

Minnesota Morris was unable to push a run across in the fourth, leaving three stranded after loading the bases with one out. The Stars took advantage in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game with a RBI single and then taking the lead on a sacrifice fly. 

In their final two turns at the plate, Minnesota Morris put just one runner aboard after Evan Benson reached on an error in the sixth. He was erased on the basepaths and the Cougars couldn't muster any more of a challenge. 

Hits in the game came from Pelle, Scheler, Branden Carlson and David Steffen. Tyler Carper took the loss in relief for the Cougars.