GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Dayton baseball team opened the season with a win at North Carolina A&T on Friday afternoon. The Flyers won 8-4 behind an eight-run fourth inning and a pitching staff that allowed just one walk in nine innings on the mound.
 
Dayton opens the season with a 1-0 record, while NC A&T falls to 0-1. The Flyers picked up eight hits on the day, with graduate student Alexis Castillo leading the way with two hits in the contest. Junior Omar Daniels doubled in the third inning for the first hit of the 2022 season for Dayton.
 
Seniors Jay Curtis and Marcos Pujols each drove in a pair of runs and also picked up a stolen base in the contest. The pair made up two of the three stolen bases on the day, with junior Alex Neff also stealing second in the contest.
 
ON THE MOUND
Serwa picked up the win, starting the game and going five strong innings for the Flyers, keeping the Aggies from delivering any big innings early on. He allowed just three runs while scattering nine hits and striking out a pair.
 
He was relieved by senior Jake Silverstein, who went the next 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit and picking up a strikeout. Silverstein let one run score in his time on the mound after giving way to sophomore Nick Wissman. The Dayton native faced just one batter, forcing a flyout to get the second out in the sixth inning.
 
Senior Bryce Hellgeth went the rest of the way for the Flyers, tossing the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run. The senior struck out three and allowed just one hit in the 10 batters he faced.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Top 4: (8-0 Flyers)
The Flyers put up eight runs in the fourth, taking a lead that would hold up for the rest of the contest. Junior Ben Jones led off with a walk, and two batters later graduate student Henry Strmecki advanced him to second with a one-out single to left field. Junior Alex Neff loaded the bases on an infield single, and Curtis drove home the first runs of 2022 with a base hit through the left side.
 
Castillo followed with a single of his own through the right side on the next play, scoring Neff from second and making it 3-0 Dayton. Junior Keagan Calero then walked to load the bases and Daniels brought home his first Dayton RBI with a hit by pitch when he stepped up to the plate.
 
The Aggies got the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice before Jones would drive in another run on a hit by pitch, making it 5-0 Dayton. Pujols then singled to center field, plating another pair of runs to extend the lead to seven, and Jones would score on a wild pitch to cap off an eight-run inning by the Flyers.
 
Bottom 4: (8-2 Flyers)
Serwa made one of the few mistakes of the game in the fourth inning, as NC A&T hit a two-out double to left center field and cut the lead to 8-2 with a two-run home run in the next at bat.
 
Bottom 5: (8-3 Flyers)
The Aggies led off with a double down the right field line and advanced the runner to third on a fly out to deep left field. Serwa then allowed a base hit through the left side to cut Dayton's lead to five.
 
Bottom 7: (8-4 Flyers)
Silverstein hit the leadoff hitter, who advanced to second on a great diving catch in foul territory by Calero, and to third on a wild pitch. Wissman would enter the game after a second hit by pitch and forced a line out to center field that was deep enough to score the run from third, cutting the lead to four. The Flyers would not allow a run the rest of the way, finalizing the scoring.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return Saturday for a 1 p.m. first pitch against the Aggies. Live stats will be available for the contest at World War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro.