Birmingham, Ala. – The No. 9 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team fell twice in the Bears' season opening doubleheader against No. 7 Birmingham Southern and No. 25 Lynchburg in Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday afternoon. 

WashU fell 8-2 to the No. 7 Panthers in the first game and then dropped a 9-5 decision to No. 25 Lynchburg later in the afternoon. 

Game 1 vs. No. 7 Birmingham Southern 

WashU fell behind early after a two-run homer from BSC in the bottom of the first gave the Panthers a 2-0 advantage. 

Birmingham Southern would tack on two additional runs in the second off two RBI singles to left field.

With the Bears trailing 4-0, WashU got on the board in the fifth inning, after first-year Brandon Buday ripped an RBI triple to right field, which scored Bo Anderson to cut into the lead at 4-1. 

However, WashU was unable to score any more runs in the frame and stranded four baserunners throughout the afternoon.

The Panthers would respond with three runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning, including another two-run homerun, which made it a 7-1 ballgame. 

Trailing 7-1, Bo Anderson got on base in the seventh after a double to right center. The senior would score his second run of the day later on in the inning off a throwing error. 

BSC added one additional run in the bottom of the eight following a bases loaded walk. 

Austin Sachen got the start on the mound in the season debut and pitched 4.0 innings, striking out eight batters, while allowing five hits. 

Will Henkel pitched 3.2 innings in relief, striking out four, followed by 0.1 innings from Ryan Kirkendall. 

In total, the Bears finished the game with five hits. Anderson produced a multi-hit game, finishing 2-4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored. 

Andrew Huang and Dax Braemer both recorded one hit each in the loss. 

Birmingham Southern finished with 10 hits, and the Panthers' starting pitcher Tristan Harvin collected the win, pitching 6.0 innings and striking out nine. 

Game two vs. No. 25 Lynchburg

WashU started the game off on the right note in the top of the first, as Buday got into scoring position following a double down the left field line. 

Moments later, Clayton Miller's RBI single to left would score Buday and would put the Bears in front 1-0. 

Lynchburg knotted up the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning after scoring on an infield single. 

Tied at 1-1, the Bears' bats struggled to get on base, as Lynchburg held WU hitless for the next six innings. 

Nick Mattfield of LC, recorded the win on the bump, allowing only two hits in six innings of work with seven K's. 

The Hornets compiled 11 hits in the game and would score eight runs combined throughout the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, pulling ahead 9-1. 

Lynchburg went ahead in the bottom of the third with a two-run homerun and then extended the lead out to 6-1 with three runs in the fourth.

LC scored twice more in the fifth off a sacrifice fly and RBI double, and added one additional run in the sixth following another RBI double. 

WashU fought its way back into the game in the eighth inning with four runs on five hits. 

Braemer and Braden Mazone got things started with back-to-back singles to give the Bears baserunners. 

Later in the inning, Harry Mauterer connected on an RBI double to center, which scored Braemer, followed by an RBI single from Zac Malis that scored Mazone. 

Down 9-3, Mauterer would cross the plate off a passed ball and Clayton Miller recorded his second hit of the day, bringing home Malis off an RBI single up the middle. 

The Bears' late rally would fall short as WashU was shutout in the ninth. 

WU notched eight hits in the contest, as Miller led the Bears with a 2-4 effort at the plate with two RBI. The Houston, Texas native also got the start in game two, and finished with three innings pitched and six strikeouts. 

In relief, Kyle Coates and Hank Weiss each fanned three hitters, while Weiss allowed only one hit in two innings pitched. 

The Bears will matchup against No. 15 Trinity tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. CST as they conclude their Alabama trip.