ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The Neumann University Baseball team started the 2023 campaign by taking a trip to the Tarheel state for a doubleheader, suffering losses by scores of 12-0 and 14-2 on Sunday afternoon against North Carolina Wesleyan.
 
In game one, North Carolina Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second, the Battling Bishops doubled their lead on an RBI triple in the third. In the fifth, North Carolina Wesleyan added on thanks to an RBI single. They pulled away in the sixth with a five-run outburst, thanks to a two-run double, a runner scoring on a wild pitch, a runner scoring on an error, and another sacrifice fly, making it an 8-0 game. North Carolina Wesleyan pushed the advantage to double-digits on three run-scoring doubles resulting in four more runs for the final runs of the game.  
 
The second game started similarly to the opener with North Carolina Wesleyan scoring three in the first inning thanks to an RBI single and a two-run homer. With one out in the second, Isaiah Payton smashed a solo home run over the left field wall to pull the Knights back within two. In the third, the Battling Bishops sent 14 men to the plate and scored eight times to extend their lead to 11-1.
 
After a scoreless fourth, the home team brought in two more on a sacrifice fly and groundout in the fifth. In the sixth, it was a bases loaded walk that pushed the Neumann deficit to 14-1. In the seventh and final inning, Ryan Lopez led off with a walk. After a strikeout, Alec Silverman was hit by a pitch and Nick Glebocki walked to load the bases. Tyler Kilmer drew a bases loaded walk to force in Lopez, but that is as close as the Knights would come.
 
Neumann (0-2) will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in Myrtle Beach, S.C. against the Manchester University Spartans. The game is scheduled for a 1:30pm start.