MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Benedict College baseball team opened its 2019 season by splitting a doubleheader against Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday at the Ripken Experience.

Johnson & Wales rallied with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 10-9 victory in the first game. Benedict got a three-run homer by Christopher Harper as part of a seven-run fourth inning to take a 13-10 victory.

After Johnson & Wales jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, the Tigers tied the game in the second inning. Javier Santiago singled in the first run. Sterling Smith later stole home. Anthony Johnson followed with a single to score Santiago. Johnson scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Benedict pushed across seven runs in the fourth inning. After Johnson had an RBI single and Michael Garner scored on a wild pitch, Harper blasted a shot over the right field fence with runners on first and third. Myles Snype and Smith added RBI singles in the big inning.

The Tigers added two more runs in the fifth inning for a 13-4 lead. Darian Williams had an RBI single and Bradon O'Connor brought home a run with a double to right field.

Phillip Torres picked up the win in relief.

In the first game, Johnson & Wales scored seven runs in the second inning for an 8-1 lead. Benedict came back to tie the game with four runs in the third inning and four runs in the sixth inning to take a 9-8 lead. Joseph Macaluso had a two-run double, while Smith and Garner had RBI singles in the third inning.  In the sixth, Garner scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by O'Connor. Harper had an RBI single, and Macaluso drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single. Johnson & Wales took the lead in the sixth, scoring two unearned runs on a pair of hits and three Benedict errors.

Benedict is scheduled to play its home opener on Saturday against Lincoln University, weather permitting.