AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Sean Gregorius (Fr.-Germantown, Wis.) drove in three runs and Tucker Gegenfurtner (So.-Onalaska, Wis.) sent in the winning run in the eighth inning as the Lakeland University baseball team opened its spring break trip with a 7-6 victory over Gwynedd Mercy (Pa.) University Saturday at the RussMatt Invitational.

The Muskies earned their first win of the season in their opening game of the day before falling 10-0 to Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.). The games were the first two of 10 that Lakeland will play over the next week on its annual spring trip to Florida.

The Muskies (1-3 overall) led most of the game against Gwynedd Mercy (4-5 overall) after scoring four runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 5-2, including a two-run single by Gregorius. The Griffins battled back and tied it back up in the eighth, but Lakeland put together a two-out rally. OakLee Spens (Sr.-South Weber, Utah) doubled and Zak Keegan (Sr.-Frankfort, Ill.) singled to put runners at the corners, and Gegenfurtner followed with a run-scoring single to give the Muskies the lead back.

Eli Watkins (So.-Herrin, Ill.) came on to pitch for Gegenfurtner in the fifth, and he concluded an effective relief appearance with a 1-2-3 ninth, including getting Drew Haines to ground out to third to end the game. Watkins finished pitching five innings and allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) with a strikeout to earn his first win of the season.

Spens finished with three hits and Keegan and Gegenfurtner added two hits each as the Muskies 2-3-4 hitters accounted for seven hits. Gregorius added two hits and Chris Day (So.-Victorville, Calif.) also drove in a pair of runs.

Lakeland's highlights for the day mostly ended there, as the Muskies could muster just one hit in the second game against RIT, a single by Dylan Costello (Jr.-New Berlin, Wis.) in the third inning.

The Tigers (6-2 overall) scored all the runs they would need in the second inning with four runs against Muskies starter Mason Holz (Fr.-Waupun, Wis.). RIT added a run in the fourth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh, chopping away throughout with few big blows but with all 13 of its hits singles or doubles.

Costello was the lone Lakeland player to reach base, as he also got aboard with a walk in the sixth. The Muskies were shut down by RIT pitchers Luc Rising and Timothy Wozny, with Rising throwing five innings and striking out for and Wozny adding two hitless innings with three strikeouts.

Lakeland continues play in Florida on Sunday when it faces Fontbonne (Mo.) University at 9 a.m. Eastern time, 8 a.m. Central at the Lake Myrtle Complex on Field 5.