DANVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Collin Bazemore registered four no-hit innings in his season debut while going 7.1 innings for four hits and seven strikeouts, but the Marymount (Va.) University baseball team's solid defensive effort comes up short in the eighth inning when Averett University brought around four runners for the 4-0 decision. 

The first hit came early for the Saints with freshman Luke Tyree, hitting second in the lineup, smacked a grounder up the middle into outfield for the first-inning single with one out. Two pitches later on sophomore Stephen Berczek, Tyree caught a good jump on Cougar pitcher TJ Viracola to steal the first base of the season, sliding in on the throw to touch the bag before getting tagged by the second baseman. Berczek eventually got walked, but that was as far as the two would get on the bags after the next two batters for Marymount popped out and grounded into the final two outs of the top half of the first. 

Bazemore took the mound and owned it through seven innings, kicking off the first inning of his sophomore season with two strikeouts while Tyree ran down a shallow fly ball in center to go three up, three down on the Cougars in their first at bat. 

The next inning and a half were straight defensive efforts on both sides, neither pitcher giving up a hit in the stretch. In the top of the fourth, the Saints stirred up some action, as Berczek led off the inning with a hard hit grounder right at the second baseman, which was too hard to handle. Reaching on the error, he would eventually move his way over to second base after freshman Conner Hall got walked. Again, that was as far as the Saints would get on the bases, as junior Brandon Orbe's lined opportunity up the third baseline was picked off by the Cougars' third baseman. 

On the defensive end, Bazemore continued to deal on the mound with help from his teammates behind him. With his no hitter still alive in the bottom of the fourth, junior Lorenzo Calderon ran down two fly balls before Hall scooped up a bouncer at shortstop to keep the game scoreless through four. 

Come the bottom of the fifth, the bid for a no hitter was snapped when the leadoff batter for the Cougars sent a shot to the left-field fence for a stand-up double.  That's as far as the runner would go though, as Bazemore notched his fifth strikeout on the next batter, freshman Evan Todd ran down a foul pop down the first baseline and Tyree slid in for the final out on a fly to left centerfield. 

Bazemore worked out of a jam in the sixth and made it through the seventh before the offenses on both sides took light in the eighth. Todd led off the inning reaching on an error off the second baseman who let a grounder underneath his glove into right field. Junior Roy Coates in the next at bat pulled back the bunt and slapped a ball into shallow right for a single, moving Todd to second base. Back at the top of the order, Calderon bunted up the third baseline and reached on a fielder's choice, as the pitcher ran down the ball to throw out the lead runner at third base. Coates and Calderon eventually advanced to second and third, the furthest the Saints reached in the game, off a wild pitch, but the inning would end with a strikeout to keep the game scoreless into the bottom of the eighth. 

The scoreless game was broke in the bottom of the eighth when the Cougars brought around four runners for what would play out to be the only scores of the game. Back-to-back singles by Averett including advancements by both runners put them on second and third with one out, enough for the Saints to make a pitching chance. Senior Charlie DiGiulian came in for relief, but it wasn't his day on the mound giving up two doubles on the next two batters to put the Cougars up, 3-0.  Another pitching change for MU brought out junior John LaMotta who was able to get the Saints out of the inning, but it wasn't before a sacrifice bunt brought home the fourth and final runner. 

A late push by Marymount in the top of the ninth came up short. With runners on second and third, a bunt back to the pitcher would draw out a double play, throwing out the lead runners. A groundout up the third baseline ended the game, 4-0. 

Bazemore pitched 7.1 innings, allowing four hits and two run while striking seven batters out, just one shy of tying a career high. For the game, he threw 104 pitches, 70 strikes. On the offensive end, Hall registered a hit and a walk, while Tyree recorded a hit and a stolen base. 

The men are back in action on Sunday, February 14, as they remain at Averett's field for a twin bill against Southern Vermont College. Game one is set to begin at 12 p.m.