FERRUM, Virginia -- Ferrum College dropped two baseball games to Alfred State College to open the season today at home. The Panthers fell 11-6 in the opener, then lost 12-8 in the nightcap at Panther Field in the non-conference doubleheader.

RECORDS
Alfred State (2-0)
Ferrum (0-2)

THE BASICS
The Panthers opened a 2-0 lead in game one when Elijah Byrd scored in the first inning, then Russell Golembe scored on an Ozzie Torres RBI single in the second. Alfred State collected a pair of runs in the fourth inning bto tie the game, Golembe again crossed the plate in the bottom the frame for a 3-2 Ferrum lead.

Ferrum led 4-2 after six full innings, only to see the Pioneers plate three runs in the seventh inning and six in the eighth to move out in front 11-4. Ferrum got a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth with Golembe scoring on a Torres RBI double and Torres scoring on a Michael RBI double to left center.

In the nightcap, Ferrum exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second inning, then added two more runs in the third and owned a 7-5 lead. The Panther bats went cold with no runs over the next five innings, while Alfred State scored seven more runs to take a 12-7 lead after eight full framed. Bailey Hodges groundout to second base drove in Golembe in the bottom of the ninth, but that's all the Panthers would get in dropping game two.

KEY 2-GAME STATS
Alfred State: Nick Serce 4-8, 5 RBI
Ferrum: Michael 4-9, 4 RBI; Benjamin Thomas 4-7, 2 runs

NEXT UP
Coach Ryan Brittle's team will be back in action Sunday, February 19, in the third and final game of the series with Alfred State. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.