PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - No. 5-ranked Swarthmore College Baseball finally opened its 2019 season on Saturday after having several home games cancelled and postponed due to weather. Ultimately, the Garnet lost 10-3 to Heidelberg University in a morning game and followed that with a 27-8 win over The University of Scranton later in the afternoon.

GAME ONE: Heidelberg 10, Swarthmore 3

A pair of singles in the first inning gave Heidelberg a 2-0 advantage. That lead eventually ballooned to 8-0 in the sixth inning before the Garnet responded with runs of their own.

Junior leadoff hitter Jared Gillen drove in Swarthmore's first run of the season in the sixth with a double that scored freshman Luke Mutz. Junior Charles Levitt was the next batter, and he tripled to score Gillen and junior Terrell Dale. Swarthmore didn't score again.

Of Swarthmore's six pitchers, juniors William Line and Adam Schauer are the only two that didn't allow an earned run. Line recorded two outs, and Schauer got three.

Gillen led the Garnet with two hits in his four times at bat.

GAME TWO: Swarthmore 27, Scranton 8

Swarthmore's 27 runs in the second game is the most its ever scored in a contest under seventh-year head coach Matt Midkiff.

Fueled by a 13-run seventh inning, the Garnet never trailed the Royals in this one.

Levitt had a monster game, going 3-for-6 with two walks, two stolen bases, a home run, six RBIs and five runs scored. The homer was the 13th of Levitt's career, and he's now tied with Michael Cameron '12 for the most in  Swarthmore history.

Juniors Cole Beeker and Holden Bridge each went 3-for-5. Beeker walked, hit a double, drove in five runs and scored two. Bridge walked twice, scored five times and recorded two RBIs.

Four other players had two hits apiece for Swarthmore: senior Jackson Roberts, senior Conor Elliott, sophomore Michael Sepe, freshman Paul Cooke. Roberts walked twice and had a double with two RBIs and a run scored. Sepe had three walks, two steals, a double, four runs scored and three RBIs.

Cooke homered in his second collegiate game, sending a ball 400-plus feet over the batter's eye in center field to score two runs in the eighth inning.
Senior Ricky Conti picked up his 14th career win by pitching six innings, striking out three and walking one.

The Garnet finished the game with 21 hits.

Swarthmore's spring break trip continues in Port Charlotte, Fla., on Sunday with games against Kean University and Marietta College.