ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - In the home opener for the Lewis University baseball team, the Flyers fell to Grand Valley State 5-2 Friday (March 16) at Brennan Field.

All seven runs in the game were scored in the first inning. The Lakers scored three times in the top of the first to build their lead, but the Flyers came back with a run in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1. After two outs to open the inning, Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) reached second on a two-base error on a dropped fly ball. Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) took advantage of the extra out with a RBI single to right field.

Lewis cut the deficit to a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) opened the inning with a single. After a strikeout, Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) reached on a fielder's choice, forcing out Rios at second. Schefske then moved into scoring position with a stolen base. That paid off as Connor Rutherford (DePere, Wis./DePere) drove a ball into the right center gap for a RBI double.

Grand Valley reclaimed a three-run lead in the top of the fifth as Ryan Blake-Jones drove in two runs with a single, giving him three RBI on the day.

Ryan Arnold earned the win for the Lakers, going eight innings, allowing five hits and one earned run, striking out four and walking two to move his record to 4-0 on the year. Kyle Lawson pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save. Pete Hamot (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) (2-1) picked up his first loss of the year, allowing nine hits and three earned runs in five innings. George Manikas (Lockport, Ill./Joliet Catholic) and Robert Talarico (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) each pitched two scoreless innings in relief, allowing one total hit. Bloom totaled two hits for the Flyers.

The win moved Grand Valley to 9-7, while Lewis fell to 5-8. The second game of the series is Saturday (March 17) at 1 p.m. The series concludes Sunday with two seven-inning games.