Auburndale, FL - The Husson University baseball team hung tight with the #20 ranked Red Dragons of Cortland State in their opening contest of the 2012 season in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, but an 8th inning rally was more than the Eagles could handle as they dropped their first game of the year by a score of 8-2. 

Senior Pitcher Nate Adams (Frankfort, ME) pitched well despite earning the loss in his first appearance, allowing one earned run on five hits in seven innings. Adams was a first-team all-conference selection a year ago, and has settled into his role as the ace of the Husson squad. Offensively for the Eagles, captains Shawn Smith (Winterport, ME) and Kyle Vanidestine (Bangor, ME) each went 1-3 wuth a run scored. Sophomore third baseman Josh Gaudette (Waterville, ME) was 1-4 with and RBI, and first year player Brandon Gendreau (Brewer, ME) came up big in a pinch-hit situation going 1-1 with an RBI of his own. 

For Corltand, Seniors Matt June and Nick Thode (Huntington Station, NY) and sophomore Max Rosing (Rockville Centre, NY) each drove in two runs. Junior Ray Angelucci (Commack, NY) allowed only four hits, a walk and one run in five and two-thirds innings for his first victory as a Red Dragon. He struck out six batters. June finished 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, Rosing was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double and Thode finished 1-for-3 with two RBI. 

The teams traded runs in the first inning. Cortland's run came when June singled with one out, stole second and scored on an error. The Eagles tied the game on a Shawn Smith walk, an error and a Gaudette RBI single.

The Red Dragons took the lead for good in the third on Thode's two-out, two-run single. Neither team scored again until Cortland tallied five runs in the top of the eighth. The Red Dragons' six hits in that frame included a Rosing two-run single, a Rinaldi RBI single and a two-run single by June. Husson closed the scoring in the ninth on Gendreau's two-out, pinch-hit RBI single.

The Eagles will take on Siena Heights, and NAIA school from Adrian, Michigan on Monday at 2:30 pm. Cortland will take on RIT on Monday at 2:00 pm.