(ANDERSON, S.C.) – Lake Erie opened up the season with a pair of defeats by scores of 4-3 to Augusta and 8-3 to Anderson on Saturday. The Storm will finish the weekend with another game at Memorial Stadium against Saginaw Valley State tomorrow at 11 a.m.

In the opener against the Jaguars, Lake Erie jumped out to early leads, but saw the designated home team chip away immediately after in the bottom half of the frame each time. Corbin Paxton (Sr., Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania-Northview) singled in Nathan Birtley before he later scored on a Sam Browning (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio / Archbishop McNicholas) sac fly in the first for a quick 2-0 lead. Paxton scored again in the third on a double to left center by Trace Peterson for a 3-1 lead.

Augusta was able to answer with single runs in the bottom of the third and fourth, and took the go-ahead score in the bottom of the eighth.

Tyler Brill took the loss as he tossed the final two frames with one run on one hit with three walks and two strikeouts. Chris Mutter started the game and went struck out eight with three runs, two earned, on four hits and five walks in five innings of work.

In the nightcap, the hosting Trojans scored four in the third and kept the Storm at bay the rest of the way. Browning got the Storm on the board in the fourth and provided the first home run of the season with a shot to left field to make the score 4-1. Peterson recorded another RBI hit with a double to left center to bring on Paxton once again in the eighth. Reed Collins scored later in the frame on a groundout.

Cade Wendel (So., Fort Recovery, Ohio / Fort Recovery) took the loss after he gave up five runs, four earned, with six strikeouts over the first five innings.

Peterson provided three hits on the day with two in the second. Paxton also had two hits against the Trojans with three runs scored overall between both games. Brady Minetti (Sr., McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) added a triple.