GEORGETOWN, Texas — Southwestern baseball surrendered a season-high 10 hits and walked 10 other batters in an 8-1 loss to the Susquehanna River Hawks in the first game of a three-game series. 

Luke Richards started on the mound for Southwestern and got into trouble early, loading the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. Evan Knapp put Susquehanna on the board with a groundout to second, scoring Brock Veit, who opened the inning with a single to right field. 

Southwestern responded immediately behind the baserunning of Maxwell Mims. After reaching first on a fielder's choice, Mims stole second, then advanced to third and eventually scored on a wild pitch and passed ball. 

Lance Book opened the second inning with a leadoff triple for the River Hawks, then scored on Sean McCulloch's groundout to shortstop. Veit followed with a single up the middle, scoring Michael Biuso, who reached on a walk, to give the River Hawks a 3-1 lead. 

Susquehanna starting pitcher Dillan Weikel retired the next six Pirates in order, and 15 of the next 18 hitters before leaving the game after walking Jake Harris in the bottom of the seventh inning. Weikel finished with seven strikeouts, surrendering only three hits and one run in six innings of work. 

The River Hawks added another run in the fourth inning off Bryan Meissner, who relieved Richards in the third, scoring on a fielder's choice with bases loaded when Southwestern couldn't turn the 4-6-3 double play in time.

Susquehanna exploded for four runs in the seventh, opening with a leadoff home run to deep left field by Schreck. The River Hawks loaded the bases and walked in another run, followed by a Morrow two-RBI single to go up 8-1. 

Martin replaced Weikel on the mound for Susquehanna in the seventh and pitched three scoreless, hitless innings to pick up the save. 

Southwestern drops to 2-3. The Pirates and the River Hawks will play again Saturday, then close out the series on Sunday.