Box Score
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The University of Dayton baseball team opened up the 2014 Mule Mix Classic in Tennessee with a tough 8-6 loss to the Blue Raiders, despite an early 4-0 lead.

"The difference of the game was that we gave up too many free passes," said head coach Tony Vittorio. "Mark Giesler got us settled in a bit. We had better at-bats later in the game."

The Flyers got off to a fast start in the top of the first inning when sophomore and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week Aaron Huesman ripped a double to left field, scoring junior Alex Harris and senior Robby Sunderman.

Following the big hit by Huesman, junior Greg Rhude walked to load the bases. Junior Mark Podlas and senior Kuris Duggan both added to Dayton's lead with back-to-back hit-by-pitches, making it a 4-0 game in the Flyers' favor.

The Blue Raiders wouldn't take long to respond though and scored two runs in the bottom of the first to cut Dayton's lead in half.

Middle Tennessee managed to take the lead in the second inning with four singles, making it a 5-4 game. The Blue Raiders added another run in the third inning to push their advantage to two runs.

Dayton got a run back in the fifth inning on an RBI double by junior Zach Schira. That scored Huesman and made it a one-run contest.

MTSU was not done offensively though and scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to push their lead back to three, 8-5.

Schira contributed his second RBI of the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI single to right, plating senior Ryan Berry.

Dayton managed to score runs throughout the contest, but the six runs by MTSU in the first three innings proved to be the difference in the game as the Flyers fell to the Blue Raiders, 8-6.

Starting pitcher Noah Buettgen (1-1) suffered the loss for Dayton after giving up six runs, four earned, on eight hits in three innings of work. Freshman Garrett Atkinson pitched a shutout inning in relief while freshman Mark Giesler had three shutout innings to end the contest.

UD totaled seven hits in the contest while giving up 11 to MTSU. Huesman led the way with a 3-for-3 outing, two RBI, and two runs scored. Schira also chipped in a 2-for-3 day and two RBI.

The Flyers (2-2) will continue play in Tennessee on Saturday when they take on Lipscomb at 3 p.m. ET