The Shorter baseball team lost a pair of games on the road to start the season at Florida Tech.

The first game saw Florida Tech get the 4-2 victory, after Shorter was able to plate both runs in the top of the first.

Cal Hardie walked to start the game, and was followed by Darrius Jennings betting hit by a pitch from starter Jason Boyer. After a double steal put the runners on second and third with no out, Willie Lewis hit a line drive to second that was caught and could not score either runner.

Jesse Gavigan singled down the right field line to bring both runners in to score.

Florida Tech answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second when Jorge Chavarria drove in Dan Bodziak and Jimmie Koch.

Scott Carcaise scored in the third after being hit by a pitch to reach base.

Koch drove in the final run in the fifth when Andrew Bartlett scored on a double play.

Russell Crosby started the game on the mound for Shorter and gave up only a pair earned runs over six innings while striking out three Panthers.

David Summerall finished the final two innings for the Hawks, giving up only two hits while striking out two.

Boyer gave seven strong innings to earn the win in the season opener, yielding five hits and striking out five.

James Mannara earned the save with a perfect ninth inning — including one strikeout. Mannara is coming off of a five save season with an ERA of 1.25 to set a Florida Tech single season school record.

The second game saw the Panthers defeat the Hawks 3-2, despite the Hawks outhitting the home team.

Florida Tech earned all three runs in the first two innings, with Bartlett scoring in the first off the bat of Tyler Doughty.

The second inning saw Alex Alfonso steal third base for the Panthers and reach home on the throwing error trying to catch the runner stealing.

Bodziak scored in the next at-bat when Chavarria singled through the right side of the infield.

Jennings drove in in the lone Shorter run in the third when he singled to left field and Evans scored.

Willie Lewis singled next, but Hardie was caught at home on a put out from the right fielder.

Gavigan scored in the sixth after doubling to lead off the inning when Borneman would single to center.

The Hawks outhit the Panthers, 8-6, with each team adding an error.

In other action Saturday:

GREENSBORO 8, BERRY 6

Berry’s baseball team dropped its season opener against Greensboro College, 8-6, on a chilly Saturday afternoon at William R. Bowdoin Field.

Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, the nightcap fell victim to the elements as rain halted the action during the bottom of the third.

In Game One, Brandyn Jackson went 2-4 and scored twice. Zach Farmer was 2-4 and scored a run.

Chad Busby, who pitched one inning in relief, took the defeat. The Vikings left nine runners on base in the game.

Berry built a 2-0 lead for starting pitcher Casey Gray and increased the margin to a 5-2 heading to the eighth inning.

In the top of the eighth, however, Greensboro’s Austin Catherina greeted reliever Chad Busby with a game-tying two-run single up past a diving Grant Perkins at short, knotting the game up at 5-5. Bill Wooding plated the tie-breaking run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

To cap the five-run inning, Josh Powell poked an RBI single up the middle.

With the two runners on base and the potential winning run at the plate, Greensboro’s Brian Robbett induced a game-ending double play grounder off the bat of Alex McGill, earning the save in the process.

BERRY SWIMMING

The Berry College swim teams closed their dual meet season on Saturday. Both Viking teams beat Milligan and lost to Sewanee.

For the men, it was their first dual meet loss at home. They lost to the Tigers, 86-54, and defeated Milligan, 108-24.

The women closed their dual campaign with a 2-4 record after besting Milligan (89-42), and falling to Sewanee (91-47).