ROLLA, Mo. – Lewis' baseball team hit three home runs but it wasn't enough as it dropped the series opener at Missouri S&T, 8-7 on Friday afternoon at the Ballpark at S&T in Rolla, Mo. The Flyers fall to 8-11 on the season and 3-6 in GLVC play while the Miners improve to 14-6, 7-2 GLVC.

"Different game, same story," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "We play well but we make one or two mental mistakes that cost us. That's the fine line between winning and losing at this level.

"I thought we swung the bats well today against a tough pitcher," he continued. "It was good to see OB (Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic)) and (Austin) Tittle get back on track. (Brandon) Post and (Connor) Rutherford didn't have a ton of hits but I thought they were locked in all day. Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) had a huge hit to give us the lead in the 8th."

Lewis trailed 6-1 heading into the top of the seventh but scored five runs on five hits to tie the game up. Tittle singled to center to drive in Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) with the first run of the inning. After a strikeout, O'Brien hit his second home run of the game, a three-run blast to center, to bring the Flyers within 6-5.

Missouri S&T went to the bullpen and brought in Will Boettcher to relieve Luke Marcheschi. Brandon Post (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) greeted Boettcher by hitting the first pitch he saw for a solo home run to right.

Lewis took its first lead of the game in the eighth. With one out, Schefske walked, stole second and scored on Anthony Rios' (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) single to center.

The Miners responded with two runs in its half of the eighth to regain the lead. They loaded the bases with no one out on two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Robert Talarico (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West), pitching in relief of Pete Hamot (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), got back-to-back strikeouts and was one strike away from getting out of the jam but Tim Lira singled to left center to drive in two.

The Flyers had a chance to tie the game in the ninth getting a lead-off single from Tittle but three straight strikeouts ended the contest.

Tittle and O'Brien combined for half of Lewis' 12 hits in the contest with O'Brien driving in four runs. Post, Tittle and Rios had a RBI each. Hamot pitched into the eighth allowing eight runs, five earned, on 12 hits with six strikeouts to fall to 1-2 on the season.

"Pete really battled and deserved a better fate, but probably would like a pitch or two back that could've really changed the complexion of the game," McDonough said. "Talarico was great again and was one pitch away from getting out of bases loaded nobody out jam."

The two teams conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.