Head Coach Mark Heineman and his Philadelphia University baseball team opened the 2008 season with a pair of losses to second-ranked Franklin Pierce (N.H.) University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.  The visiting Ravens took the opener by a 5-2 margin in extra innings before posting a 9-1 victory in the second contest of the day.

In the first game, the Rams took a 2-1 lead into the seventh and final inning before surrendering an unearned run that tied the contest.  The Ravens eventually scored three times in the top of the ninth for the come-from-behind victory.  Sophomore infielder Tyler Mentzer went 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI for the Rams while senior catcher Jason Hartley added an RBI double.  On the mound, junior righthander Kyle Noonan allowed just one run in five innings of work in his first start of the year.

In the second game of the non-conference doubleheader, Franklin Pierce jumped out early, scoring seven runs in the first three innings and never looked back.  The lone run of the contest for the Rams came in the bottom of the seventh when senior outfielder JungMin Lee, who registered a pair of hits, drove home Noonan with an RBI single with two outs.

Up next for Heineman and his team will be non-league foe Bryant (R.I.) University on Monday, March 10th, at Alumni Field.