Vero Beach, Fla. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland baseball team had a tough start to their Spring Break trip Monday afternoon as the Seahawks dropped a 12-3 decision to Bridgewater State University at the Vero Beach Sports Village.

St. Mary's (4-8) came out firing as the Seahawks staked a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Luke Green (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) connected on a lead-off single then stole second before Bridgewater State notched the first out of the inning. St. Mary's then had runners on first and second as senior Corey Napier (Hollywood, Md./St. Mary's Ryken) drew a walk.

Green came home on sophomore Jared Eaker's (Mechanicsville, Md./Leonardtown) double and Napier advanced to third, scoring on sophomore Zach Nadolny's (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) sac fly to centerfield. The BSU Bears ended the inning with another ground out.

Bridgewater State (3-2) cut the lead to one in the top of the fourth as senior David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.) singled, advanced to third on senior Trevor Lawson's (Easton, Mass.) one-out single and then scored on sophomore Nicholas White's (Bellingham, Mass.) sac fly to leftfield. The Seahawks ended the inning by picking off Lawson at first base.

The Bears then claimed their first lead of the game in the sixth with two runs for a 3-2 advantage before breaking the game wide-open with an eight-run seventh inning for a nine-run cushion. BSU scored 10 runs on 12 hits between the two innings. Bridgewater State tacked on one more in the eighth, scoring on a bases loaded walk.

St. Mary's final run came in the eighth inning as well as the Seahawks started with a strikeout and back-to-back walks. Sophomore Brad Dioguardo (Owings Mills, Md./Franklin) then singled to bring home junior Eric Skrzyniarz (Bethesda, Md./Winston Churchill). First-year south paw Shane Surette (Haverhill, Mass.) threw consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.

BSU outhit the Seahawks, 20-10, including four extra-base hits, as Pierce finished 4-of-6 with three runs scored and one RBI. Junior starter Patrick Martin (Rockland, Mass.) notched the win, allowing two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and five walks in 6.0 innings pitched.

Nadolny paced St. Mary's at the plate with a flawless 3-for-3 effort and one RBI. Junior Sam Coe (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) was saddled with the loss after pitching 3.0 innings of relief, giving up three runs on seven hits.

St. Mary's will return to action tomorrow with an afternoon doubleheader against Albright College. The first pitch is slates for 2:30 pm.

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