FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Neumann University baseball team wrapped up its opening weekend with a 9-4 win over Bridgewater College in the Diamond Invitational.
 
Cloudy skies and rain pushed the start time back over an hour, and it took both teams until the third inning to generate any offense. Bridgewater opened the scoring in the top of the third with one run on a hit batter with the bases loaded.
 
Neumann charged right back in the bottom half of the frame, plating three runs all with two outs. After Danny Padilla, Zach Ray, and Joe Nepi all reached safely to load the bases, senior Curt Yenchik dug in and lifted a ball to the left center gap for a bases clearing double. Neumann's 3-1 lead was quickly erased as the Eagles offense quickly answered with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth.
 
The offense exploded in the bottom half of the fourth inning as the Knights batted around and brought four runs across. John Lindeborn brought in Andrew Fowler on sacrifice fly to left center, Padilla singled to left center to bring around Tre'Zhan Selby and John Schoelkopf crossed the plate on a single to right off the bat of Nepi. Padilla eventually scored on a Yenchik single to right field to cap the busy inning for the Knights, who now held a 7-3 lead.
 
Both team's bats took a rest until the 8th inning. Bridgewater was able to capitalize on a Neumann error to score one run in the top of the frame closing the gap to a 7-4 Neumann advantage. The Knights were able to tack on two insurance runs in the bottom half as Padilla blasted a triple to right, scoring Lindeborn who led off the inning with a walk. Padilla then scored two batters later as Nepi grounded out to first.
 
Freshman Will Hart toed the rubber in his first collegiate start. Hart went 3.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits, and struck out four in the no-decision. Jared Morris collected his first win of 2019 in relief putting out a masterful performance. The junior righty tossed 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits and four strikeouts. Schoelkopf trotted in from third base to throw the final frame, retiring all three batters he faced.
 
Neumann (2-1) will trek back north and sharpen up before heading to Winchester, Va. to take on No. 25 Shenandoah University next weekend. The teams are slated for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.