EVANSVILLE, Ind.- The Lake Erie College Storm Baseball team kicked off their season this weekend with a three-game series against the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles. The Storm took one out of two on the series, dropping the first two but exploding for six runs in one inning in game 3 to lock up their first win of the season and the first career NCAA victory for head coach Landon Hutchison.

Game 1 - February 26

Junior Anthony Berrios Jr. would get the nod on the mound for the Storm to start the season. He would get through the first inning without a hitch but would find trouble in the second inning by surrendering three runs on three hits, giving the Screaming Eagles an early 3-0 lead.

The Storm would stay scoreless until the top of the fourth when a two-run double by Graham Solak would bring in Mark Ross and Jean Valentin would cut Southern Indiana's lead in half and put Lake Erie on the board, 4-2.

Evan Barnes would come in to pitch for Berrios after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, and the Screaming Eagles would later extend their lead to 6-2.

Graham Solak would hit his second double of the game in the top of the second but that would be the final run the Storm would manage to score the rest of the contest as they dropped their season opener 12-4.

Game 2 - February 27

The Storm took the field looking to bounce back from their 12-4 loss the day before, this time sending Junior Jon Poppy to the hill. 

Lake Erie would fall behind 3-0 early and it would be until the bottom of the seventh when until newcomer Mason Eicher would give the Storm their first runs of the game by driving in two on a single up the middle, putting the team within striking distance with a 3-2 deficit.

From there, the Screaming Eagles would pull away, stretching their lead to 8-2. Mason Eicher would drive in one more run in the 9th but the game would end with a final score of 8-3.

Poppy would start off slow on the mound but had a pretty efficient day overall, going 4.1 while surrendering three earned runs on five hits.

Mason Eicher finished the day going 2-4 with three RBIs and a stolen base.

Game 3 - February 28

The final game in the series belonged to the Storm as they exploded for a six-run fifth inning and secured their first win of the season.

Despite surrendering eight walks on the day, starting pitcher Robert Helt managed to successfully pitch his way out of trouble a few times, finishing the contest after 4.2 innings pitched, allowing 5 hits and three earned runs.

The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Southern Indiana etched out two runs, carving themselves out a 2-0 lead that would prove to not last very long. 

In the top of the fifth, the Storm loaded the bases with two outs. Israel Espinosa would then rip a single into center field, scoring two and tying up the game. This would cause the Screaming Eagles to change pitchers but Lake Erie was not doe yet.

Graham Solak would welcome Southern Indiana's new pitcher into the game by knocking in Mason Eicher and advancing Espinosa to second. From there, things would get interesting. Nick Taylor would end up striking out swinging but the pitch got away from the catcher, causing Taylor to advance to first. Espinosa would advance to third and then score on a throwing error which also caused Solak to advance to third. 

During the next at-bat, Taylor would break for second, drawing the late throw. Solak broke for home and beat the tag, scoring the Storm's fifth run of the inning and advancing Taylor to second. 

Zach Saffell would rip the next pitch into left field, giving Lake Erie a 6-2 lead and giving them all the run support they needed to pull ahead for good, bringing the final score to 6-3.

The Storm will be back in action March 4-5 as they travel to Notre Dame College to take on the Falcons for a three-game series.