ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University baseball team dropped the Atlantic East Conference series opener 11-6 to Gwynedd Mercy University on Thursday afternoon.
 
Ryan Lopez went 3-for-5 in the game with two runs scored and an RBI. Marcus White was 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Alec Silverman drew three walks.
 
Nate Griffin started the game on the mound and went 4.0 innings. He allowed eight runs on 12 hits and struck out four. Pat Leighton went the next 3.0 innings and allowed a run on three hits. Billy Hunt pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit.
 
The Knights struck first as White scored on an RBI ground out by Nick Glebocki in the bottom of the first. The Griffins score two runs in the second, two in the third and four in the fifth to build an 8-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Neumann plated two unearned runs. Glebocki reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Shawn Vega. Lopez doubled and scored when Andrew Curran reached on an error. The Knights added another unearned run in the seventh.
 
Down 9-4 in the eighth, Anthony Basciano singled in Lopez. Down 11-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Neumann loaded the bases. White scored on a fielders choice by Lopez. The Knights loaded the bases again but could not get another run across the plate and fell 11-6.
 
Neumann (8-15, 4-6 Atlantic East) heads to Gwynedd Mercy on Monday for a conference doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM.