The Oglethorpe baseball team fell to Piedmont 11-2 in their season opener Friday afternoon in Demorest, Georgia. The Stormy Petrels fell behind early and never got much offense going, managing just four hits in the defeat.

The homestanding Lions scored 6 runs in the opening inning, putting the Petrels behind the eight-ball early. The visitors responded with a run in the second inning, as freshman third baseman Matthew Gill reached on an error, advanced to second on a single from sophomore right fielder Wyatt Lee, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball. However, Piedmont came back with 3 runs in the third inning and 2 runs in the sixth, giving themselves an 11-1 lead. 

The Petrels got another run in the eighth. Senior shortstop Alex Featherstone doubled with two outs and nobody on, and senior center fielder Chris Keane knocked him home with an RBI single. That was all the Petrels would muster, though.

Junior left-hander Tyler Schlegel got the opening-day start and suffered the loss, allowing 9 runs on six hits over two innings. Senior right-hander Kyle Blakeney pitched three scoreless innings in relief, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out four. 

Lee accumulated half the Oglethorpe hits, going 2-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt on the day.

The Petrels will be right back in action against the same Piedmont Lions squad on Sunday. They'll take on the Lions in a doubleheader from Demorest, with first pitch scheduled for noon. The twin bill was previously scheduled for Saturday, but got moved to Sunday due to forecast rain.