DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Husson University baseball team fell to Benedictine University (Ill.), 11-3, on Sunday afternoon in the team's season-opener at the RussMatt Invitational in Davenport, Florida.

Benedictine (2-4) scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning, then added two more in the third and another in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.

Husson answered in the top of the fifth. Senior Colin Marshall started the inning with a one-out walk and senior Keegan Cyr then doubled to drive in Marshall and get the Eagles on the board. Later in the inning, senior Cam Rendell lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Cyr after an error moved him to third and cut the deficit to 4-2. 

The Eagles kept the game within reach through the middle innings, but Benedictine broke it open with five runs in the bottom of the seventh and added two more in the eighth to extend the advantage to 11-2.

Husson plated its final run in the top of the ninth. Junior Henry Lausier reached and eventually came around to score on a pinch-hit RBI single by freshman John Hanlon, accounting for the 11-3 final. 

Lausier led the Eagles offensively with two hits and a run scored. Cyr finished 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, two walks, a stolen base and a run scored, while Hanlon contributed a pinch-hit RBI single. Rendell also drove in a run with his sacrifice fly.

On the mound, sophomore Avery Lawrence started and worked three innings, taking the opening-day loss. Senior Allen Wheaton followed with three-plus innings of relief and struck out two, while senior Ben Phillips and freshman Blake Littlefield also saw time on the mound for the Eagles. 

Husson will look to pick up its first win of the season tomorrow when it takes on the University of Wisconsin-Superior in a doubleheader beginning at 3:15 p.m.