BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (14-17, 3-10 USA South) fell in the series opener, 7-2, to Southern Virginia (9-20, 6-6 USAS) on Friday afternoon at Gil Coan Field. 

SVU used a stellar pitching performance by Zack Geertsen (3-3), who hurled a complete game, pitching to contact as the defense backed up his efficient outing that was right at 100 pitches. 

After the Tornados scored the first two runs of the ballgame, SVU responded with a two-out rally in the top of the fourth that tied the game at two. The Knights tacked on runs in the fifth and sixth, and added all the insurance they would need with a three-run ninth. 

Geertsen and the Knights held the Tornados at bay after BC broke through in the first and second innings. Lucas Woodard singled home Logan Sawyer in the bottom of the first, followed by Sawyer's RBI single in the second that brought in Tyson Hinkle. 

SVU scored two runs after a critical throwing error in the top of the fourth, and took advantage of another miscue in the fifth to take the lead for good. Pitching and defense were the difference for the Knights, who sat down 19 batters in a row from the third to ninth innings. 

BC and SVU will square off in two more matchups on Saturday beginning at noon.

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-BC-