The University of Mary Washington baseball team won a thriller with Eastern Mennonite on Wednesday evening, downing the Royals, 13-11, in Fredericksburg, Va.

The Eagles jumped out to an 8-0 lead through the first three innings that looked like this: with the bases-loaded, George Rizzo scoring on a passed ball put the Eagles up by a run in the first inning. Later, Benjamin Rossi grounded out to first base that scored Cole Powers. Then Sean Smith capped the first inning outburst with a two-RBI single  that plated both Connor Hassan and Collin Clarkson.

In the second, Hassan's sac fly increased the lead to 5-0, before three more runs came to score in the third. After dropping a bunt a reaching on an errant throw, Rizzo's bunt allowed Ryan Henson and Oliver Martin to score to increase the lead to 7-0 before Powers lifted a sac fly to score Rizzo to increase the lead to 8-0.

A two-run fourth and fifth gave Eastern Mennonite some life back as UMW's lead bled down to 8-4, but the Eagles grabbed two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth when Martin drove an RBI single, while Hassan drew a bases-loaded walk, giving UMW a 10-4 lead. 

A fifth-run seventh for the Royals, though, drew them within a run, 10-9. In the bottom half, however, Rossi and Eric Powell were both hit-by-a-pitch with the bases loaded to drive in two runs, while Sean Smith singled a run home to give the Eagles a little more breathing room, 13-9.

In the eighth, EMU added a pair of runs, but it was Connor Hassan's seven-pitch save the slammed the door and gave the Eagles a close win for their first victory of the season.

UMW is back in action on Saturday against Southern Virginia in Fredericksburg, Va. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 11 a.m.