CLINTON, MS - The #15 ranked Mississippi College baseball team suffered a 6-5 defeat to the hands of Piedmont College Friday night to kickoff the 2011 season.  The Lions' lone run in the top of the eighth broke a 5-5 tie and eventually was the difference in the game.

Piedmont jumped out to a big lead scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the second off of Choctaw starting pitcher Stephen Byrd.  Byrd would soon settle down after that pitching five straight scoreless innings and finishing with seven strikeouts on the night.

The Choctaws would get on the board in the bottom of the second when designated hitter Brett Hightower would score on a wild pitch after he singled up the middle.

The Choctaws added three more in the bottom half of the sixth when first baseman Shane Bennett hit an RBI single, and Clay Crosswhite and Mike Kerdock both pieced together RBI's off of fielder's choices.

The Choctaws would eventually tie the game in the seventh when center fielder Andy Smith scored pinch runner J'Marcus Brooks on an RBI single to left center.

But the Lions would score the eventual game winner in the eighth on a throwing error to the plate after running a safety squeeze play.     

The Choctaws were led at the plate by Hightower and junior Spencer Brunson who finished with two hits apiece.

Lions pitcher Kevin Caldwell (2-0) picked up the win, while senior Daniel Cowart (0-1) was given the loss for the Choctaws.  Matt Collins recorded the save for the Lions.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m.