DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Union College baseball team opened the season by splitting a doubleheader with the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Saturday afternoon at Northeast Regional Park. The Dutchmen lost a late lead in a 4-3 game-one loss, but came back to salvage a split with a 6-3 win in game two.
 
Sophomore Kobe Mentzer led Union at the plate, going 4-for-7 with a homer, two runs batted in and two runs scored, while senior Jack DiNanno also homered, doubled and drove in a pair as part of a 3-for-6 day at the plate.
 
GAME 1: Wisconsin-Superior 4, Union 3

Six Union starters registered a hit in the opening game of the season. DiNanno led the way at the plate for the Dutchmen, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double while Mentzer tallied his first career home run in his first at-bat of the season. Sophomore Sebastian Pike was 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored and first-year Kyle Zaslaw recorded his first collegiate run in his debut.

Batting second in the lineup, Mentzer wasted no time putting Union on the board, launching a home run to left field to give the Dutchmen an early 1-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets responded in the second, plating a run to tie the game, before taking a one-run lead in the third.

Union responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on a Superior error. Pike doubled to left center with one out, and came home when a Zaslaw popup was dropped. DiNanno added Union's second double of the inning down the left field line to bring Zaslaw around the bases and give Union a 3-2 lead.

The Dutchmen took that 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but the Yellow Jackets plated two in the final frame to escape with the win. After back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out, Jordan Trimble sent the game-winning single up the middle to seal the victory for the Yellow Jackets.

Senior James Salemme got the opening day nod, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out three. First-year Aidan McGee pitched 3.1 innings of excellent relief in his collegiate debut, striking out six and allowing only one hit and one walk. Sophomore Bryce Fournier (0-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits and walking one in 0.2 innings of work.

GAME 2: Union 6, Wisconsin-Superior 3

Senior Chris Murdock (1-0) tossed six solid innings to lead the Dutchmen to victory in the second game of the day, allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in the 6-3 victory. 
 
Murdock used double plays to get out of each of the first two frames, and then Union struck first with three runs in the bottom of the second. Two walks and a hit batter helped load the bases with two outs before sophomore Ryan Cowles delivered a two-run, two-out single, and Mentzer continued his excellent day with an RBI single of his own.
 
Superior scored two runs in the top of the third, but DiNanno got one of those runs back immediately with a solo homer to lead off the bottom half. The Dutchmen added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a sacrifice fly by first-year Sam Strazza and an RBI single by senior Justin Cabanas.
 
The Yellow Jackets made things interesting once again in the seventh, getting one run and putting the tying run on base with one out. But junior Jason Goldblum came on to shut the door, getting a flyout and a strikeout to end the game and give Union its first win of the season.
 
Union will be back in action tomorrow with two games against Keuka College beginning at 1 p.m.