GREENVILLE, S.C. – The University of Dayton baseball team kicked off the 2017 spring season with a hard-fought, 9-3 loss to Furman University on Friday afternoon at Latham Baseball Stadium.

KEY MOMENT
- With UD having closed the gap to 4-1, Furman knocked starter Austin Cline out of the game and extended its lead to 7-1 with a three-run fifth inning.

SCORING BREAKDOWN
Bottom 1st
- Furman broke open the scoring by coming home on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
- The Paladins made it 3-0 when a two-run single plated a pair.

Bottom 2nd 
- After loading the bases with nobody out, Furman scratched out a run on a double-play to make the score 4-0.

Top 3rd
- Dayton battled back for its first run of the game when senior Robbie Doring drove home Brantley Johnson with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.

Bottom 5th 
- The home team extended its lead thanks to a run-scoring double, a Flyer error, and a two-out RBI single that gave the Paladins a 7-1 lead.

Bottom 7th
- Furman added two more with a home run to give them a 9-1 advantage.

Top 8th
- Sophomore outfielder Connor Echols belted his first career home run to bring the Flyers a run closer at 9-2.
- UD's final run of the game came on an infield single by freshman Brian Wood that, compiled with a Furman error, brought home Doring to make it 9-3. The Flyers would load the bases in the final inning, but were unable to get any closer.

KEY STATS
- Though only being outhit by one (nine Furman hits to eight of Dayton), the Flyers had twice as many free passes (four walks, four hit-by-pitch) as the Paladins.
- UD also left nine runners on base throughout the course of the game.
- Echols home run was the first of his Dayton career. He finished the game with a 2-for-5 showing.
- Freshman Brantley Johnson had two hits in his Flyer debut.
- Senior leadoff man Nick Ryan went 2-for-4 with a walk.
- Fellow senior Maverick Prine had a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning.

UP NEXT
Dayton returns to action against Furman on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. at Latham Baseball Stadium.