KINGS POINT, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team opened the season with a split against Merchant Marine on Sunday at Bartoszek Field. The Garnet Chargers took game one, 6-3, before falling in game two 7-5.

Game One: Union 6, Merchant Marine 3 (7 innings)

Senior captain Chris Suter got the opening day nod and the first win of the season for the Garnet Chargers. Suter pitched four innings and struck out three while allowing only one run and two hits.

Junior Caleb Miller recorded his first career grand slam in game one of the doubleheader. Classmate Cooper Ames had a multi-hit game with a run scored.

After a scoreless inning and a half, the Mariners opened the scoring in the second inning off. With one out on the board, Ben Taylor hit a solo homerun into left field.

Union bounced back with a four-run third inning beginning with a leadoff walk. A double by first-year Dylan Swarts put runners on second and third. Senior Dan Sheeran loaded the bases with a walk. Two batters later, Miller launched a homerun into center field for his first career grand slam.

Locked at 4-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, the Mariners cut the lead to two. Landon Troutt was hit by a pitch and Ricardo Olivares followed up with a single to put runners on the corners. Braden Vazquez hit an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-2.

Ames responded with a leadoff double in the sixth and senior Sam Strazza lined an RBI triple into right field to push the lead back to three. Junior Andrew Keaveney hit a sac fly into left field to bring Strazza home for Union's sixth run of the day.

The Mariners tacked on a run in the sixth inning with an RBI single by Garrett Clapsaddle. A double put runners at second and third, but the infield made quick work of the remaining two batters to preserve the 6-3 lead.

First-year Ryan Calvario made his collegiate debut with two innings of relief. Calvario gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. Senior Aidan McGee recorded the save with a scoreless seventh inning to shut the door.

Game Two: Merchant Marine 7, Union 5

Junior Nico Lambros, Miller, and Ames each recorded two hits in game two of the doubleheader.

Union opened the scoring with a run in the first inning. With two outs and Miller on second, Strazza lined a double up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

The Mariners plated five in the second innings. An RBI single by Louis Inserra knotted the game at one each. Troutt was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting up Vazquez for a bases-clearing triple. An RBI single later in the frame drove Vazquez home to give the hosts a 5-1 lead.

Union loaded the bases in the fourth, prompting a pitching change for the Mariners. Miller drove a single up the middle to score a pair of runs. Ames followed up with an RBI single of his own that brought Miller and Lambros home to tie the game at five.

Merchant Marine took a one-run lead in the sixth inning. With runners at second and third, Danny Heck grounded into a double play, allowing Inserra time to score. The Mariners struck again in a similar fashion in the seventh to take a two-run lead.

Union loaded the bases in the eighth, but a fielder's choice ended the comeback attempt.

Junior Alex Oppenheimer started and pitched three innings. Oppenheimer struck out three and allowed five runs on four hits. Sophomore Jacob Skarlis took the loss with three innings of work. Skarlis allowed one run, unearned, on four hits, with one strikeout. Junior Jack Klein closed out the final two innings of the game with one run on one hit and a strikeout.

Union is back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader at SUNY Purchase. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.