GLENVILLE, W. Va. (Feb. 18, 2018) — The Salem University Tigers baseball team picked up its first win of the season on the second end of a doubleheader against the Glenville State College Pioneers, splitting the series 1-1. 

The makeshift series was put together after Salem's weekend series in Memphis, Tennessee against Lemoyne-Owen College was cancelled due to bad weather. 

Salem managed to produce early leads in both games, faltering down the stretch in the first to lose 8-5, then holding on in the second game for the 5-4 win. 

Game 1

Starting pitcher Brendan Case was solid through three innings, retiring nine of the first 10 Glenville batters he faced, striking out four. 

The Tigers provided run support with a big third inning. Tyler Ault led off with a double to right field and Tyler D'Alessandro drew a walk after a Jimmy Cramer fly out to center; setting up a two-RBI double to left field by Najay King. Dillon Champagne followed that up with a two-run blast to left field, punctuating the Tigers' big inning. 

Glenville State responded in the fourth, getting back-to-back singles with one out, then a walk to load the bases. After striking out Trevor Smith, Case walked a run in before Christian Hedinger hit a grand slam to give the Pioneers a 5-4 lead. 

Josh LaPrest responded with a home run to ti the game in the fifth, but Bryan Bayliss answered with a shot of his own to right center off Salem relief pitcher Kyle Sears to retake the lead. 

The Pioneers added two more insurance runs on a two-RBI home run by Trevor Smith for the 8-5 lead. 

King (1-for-3, run scored) and Champagne (1-for-4, run scored) led the Tigers with two RBIs each. Ault was 2-for-2  with a double, triple and run scored. D'Alessandro was 1-for-3 with a run scored. 

Case pitched four innings, striking out five and giving up three hits and five earned runs. Sears picked up the loss, pitching one inning and giving up three earned runs. Ben Mack ended the game on the mound for Salem, giving up one hit and one walk in a scoreless inning.

Game 2

Andrew Beam put the Tigers on the board early, hitting a three-run home run in the second inning, scoring LaPrest and Dalton Robison; and Carson Ellis threw six innings strong innings, striking out four to give Salem a 5-4 win. 

After back-to-back hit by pitches put Thirus Jones and King on, Champagne walked to load the bases, setting up LaPrest's two-RBI single to center field. 

The Pioneers scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Jordan Braniff to left field. 

With Ellis on the mound to start the seven inning, Salem allowed Braniff to reach on an error, followed by a walk, ending Ellis' night. Cole Standifer entered the game, giving up an RBI-single to Bayliss, inducing a pop fly for the first out of the inning, then giving up a rBI-double to left center. 

After striking out Anthony Jarvis, Standifer walked Hedinger to load the bases, then walked Zach Bacon to score a run. Salem held onto the win when Logan Henderson was caught trying to steal home to end the game. 

Salem ends the weekend 1-3-1 and will return to action Feb. 24 with a two-day three-game series against Lane College in Jackson Tennessee.