MASON, Ohio - The top-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University baseball team (35-18) defeated fifth-seeded Ohio Valley University (15-29) 8-5 in the 2015 Great Midwest Athletic Conference opener on Wednesday at Prasco Park.

Trevecca plays again on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. (CT) against  Game Nine winner #5 Ohio Valley, who defeated #2 Alderson Broaddus 5-2.

TNU owns a 8-1 advantage in the all-time series with Ohio Valley. OVU defeated TNU in the fourth and final game in the season series last year (2014), 8-7.

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The Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Ian Sullinger singled to open the inning for the Scots and eventually moved to third with a bases loaded and no outs situation for Trevecca starter Bryan Smith (SO/Unionville, Tenn). Sullinger scored when the Trojans turned a double play on a Chris Perna grounder.

Trevecca took the lead with a four-run fourth inning and led 4-1. Hunter Newman (JR/Chapmansboro, Tenn.) reached on a hit-by-pitch and moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Bryson Shelton (SO/Powell, Tenn. ) reached on a throwing error, which scored Newman. Ethan Hurt (SO/Pegram, Tenn.) and Micah Blount (JR/Birmingham, Ala.) drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Chad Sutton (FR/Independence, Mo.) and Cameron Boyett (JR/Rockvale, Tenn.) hit back-to-back SAC fly's that drove in Newman and Hurt consecutively. Clayton Nichols (SR/Franklin, Tenn.) walked and Tichenor followed with an RBI-single that scored Blount.

The upstart Scots tacked on a run in the fifth and sixth and trailed 4-3.

Trevecca expanded the their lead to 5-3 with a run in the top of the seventh. Carter Wiseman (FR/Hendersonville, Tenn.) hit a one-out single to center and Hunter Newman drove him in with a double to right center.

OVU didn't stop pushing the top-seeded Trojans and tied the game, 5-5, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Trevecca pulled ahead for good with a run in the top of the eighth and added insurance with two ninth-inning runs.

Cameron Boyett drew a two-out walk and stole second base. Clayton Nichols singled to drive in Boyett in the eighth.

In the ninth, Carter Wiseman singled on a full count and scored on Hunter Newman's triple. With one out, Ethan Hurt doubled to score Newman.

Both teams collected nine hits and the Trojans helped the Scots with a pair of errors.

Bryan Smith (8-1) pitched seven innings for the win. He allowed nine hits with no walks and had nine strikeouts. He gave up all five OVU runs. Austin Sisk (JR/Kodak, Tenn. ) notched his first save of the season.

Eric Schweitzer (1-7) took the loss for the Scots with eight innings of work. He allowed six hits, six runs – three earned, with four walks and two strikeouts.

Carter Wiseman, Hunter Newman, and Bryson Shelton all had two hits. Wiseman and Newman both scored twice. Newman had a pair of RBI's. Newman and Ethan Hurt each had a double and Newman added a triple and a stolen base. Hurt had a run scored and an RBI.

Trevecca is the two-time G-MAC tournament champions and are the three-time G-MAC regular season champions.

Notes:

Trevecca is 50-12 all-time in G-MAC Regular Season play

Trevecca is 9-1 all-time in G-MAC Tournament play

Trevecca is on a nine-game win streak in G-MAC Tournament play

Trevecca is 26-7 over its last 33 games

Ryan Schmalz is now 112-54
Newman has four triples, 20 doubles, 65 runs scored, 74 RBI

Hurt has 15 doubles, 40 runs scored, 40 RBI

Tichenor has 41 RBI, 25 stolen bases

Wiseman has scored 53