The Oglethorpe baseball team fell to the visiting Berry Vikings 13-3 in their SAA opener Friday afternoon at Anderson Field, allowing 11 runs over the first four innings en route to an eight-inning defeat. It dropped the Stormy Petrels to 3-7 on the season overall and 0-1 in SAA play.

The Petrels allowed 5 runs in the first inning, but immediately worked themselves right back into the game. Freshman center fielder Carter Guarino legged out a double to start things off, then junior second baseman Alex Featherstone walked. Junior catcher Alec Babb followed with a one-out single to load the bases, and the Petrels got a run on a Berry error at the plate. Junior first baseman Ian Wilson walked with the bases loaded to force in a run and sophomore third baseman Andrew Noack drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, cutting the Viking lead to 5-3.

However, the visitors responded with 3 runs in the second inning, a run in the third, and 2 more in the fourth, giving themselves an 11-3 lead. When they added a couple more unearned runs in the eighth inning, they took a 10-run lead. That meant the Petrels would need to score at least a run to force the ninth inning. They loaded the bases on a Featherstone walk, a Babb hit-by-pitch, and a single from sophomore designated hitter Rajan Sampat. However, a double play ended the threat and the game.

Babb served as the only Petrel with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. 

Junior right-hander Devlin Basinger suffered the loss, allowing 4 runs, three walks and a hit. 

The Petrels will be back in action Saturday afternoon, when they host the Vikings in a doubleheader to close out the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Anderson Field.