FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum College split a non-conference baseball doubleheader with Bluefield State on Tuesday afternoon at Panther Field, earning a 7-5 win in game one before falling 10-8 in the nightcap.

RECORDS
Ferrum 16-19
Bluefield State 13-14

GAME ONE
Ferrum jumped out early and held off a late push to take game one 7-5 over Bluefield State. The Panthers struck for three runs in the opening inning as Niko Papathanasiou, Jayden Singleton, and CJ Kemmerer each drove in runs to give Ferrum a quick 3-0 lead. Bluefield State responded with two runs in the third and one in the fourth to trim the deficit, but Ferrum answered in the bottom half of the fourth.

Tyler Mason singled and stole second to set the table for Jachob Walters, who launched a two-run home run to extend the lead to 6-3. Singleton added a solo home run in the fifth to provide an insurance run.

Bluefield State made things interesting in the seventh with two runs, but Ferrum's bullpen closed the door to secure the win. Connor Courtney earned the win in relief, while Benny Fiens took the loss.

KEY STATS
Ferrum: Walters 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Singleton 2-2, HR, 2 RBI; Mason 2-3, 2 R, SB; Pancione 2-4, 2B
Bluefield State: Moreno 2-3, 2B, RBI; Rodriguez 1-3, 3B, RBI; Diaz 1-3, 2B

GAME TWO
Bluefield State used a seven-run fifth inning to rally past Ferrum and claim a 10-8 win in game two. The visitors took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning behind a two-run home run from Nick Diaz. Ferrum responded with a run in the second and then surged ahead with a three-run third inning, highlighted by a triple from CJ Kemmerer and RBIs from Matthew Graham and JJ Tyree.

Ferrum added two more runs in the fourth to build a 6-3 advantage, but Bluefield State answered in a big way in the fifth. The visitors capitalized on free passes and timely hitting, scoring seven runs in the frame to take a 10-6 lead.

The Panthers chipped away late, scoring once in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Smith Dickinson and adding another in the seventh on an RBI single from Kemmerer. Ferrum brought the tying run to the plate in the final inning, but Bluefield State held on to secure the win.

KEY STATS
Ferrum: Kemmerer 3-5, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R; Graham 2-5, RBI; Dickinson 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Carlson 1-3, 2B
Bluefield State: Diaz 2-4, HR, 4 RBI; Moreno 1-2, 2 RBI; Germosen 1-3, 2 RBI

UP NEXT
Coach Eric Owen's team is back in action with a three game conference series with Francis Marion. First game is slated for Friday evening at 6 pm in Florence, SC.