Mary Baldwin baseball dropped the first game of a three-game series Friday afternoon, falling 25-12 to Southern Virginia.

The Fighting Squirrels jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when freshman Patrick Sido launched a three-run home run to right-center field, scoring seniors Will Earnesty and Isiah Brooks.

Mary Baldwin added two more runs in the third inning. Sophomore Camden Bauswell drove in Sido with a single, and freshman Cooper Harris followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1.

Southern Virginia responded in the middle innings, tying the game at 5-5 in the fifth before taking the lead on a sacrifice fly later in the frame.

The Knights added three runs in the seventh to extend their advantage, but Mary Baldwin answered with a three-run inning of its own. Freshman Noel Cano-Rocha highlighted the rally with an RBI double, while Bauswell and Harris each drove in runs to cut the deficit to 9-8.

Southern Virginia broke the game open in the eighth inning, scoring 12 runs on 11 hits to take control.

Mary Baldwin plated four runs in the bottom half of the inning, with Cano-Rocha driving in two more runs, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.

Sido led the Fighting Squirrels offensively with three hits and four RBIs, while Cano-Rocha added three RBIs. Bauswell finished with two RBIs, and Harris drove in one.

Up next
The Fighting Squirrels continue the series with a doubleheader against Southern Virginia on Saturday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.