WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Marymount University baseball team opened the 2021 Atlantic East Conference postseason in resounding fashion on Wednesday afternoon with an 18-4 victory over the fifth-seeded Wesley College Wolverines.

The game was secured early for the No. 1-overall seed after the Saints exploded for a whopping 14 runs in the bottom of the third inning. MU's outburst marked the most runs ever scored in one inning in program history. Marymount showcased stellar patience at the dish during the onslaught, as five walks pushed across five scores. Singles from Ryan Lee, Casey Baker, Ryan Maylie and Bill Wojcik pushed the Saints lead to 11-0. Bryce Smith added a double that made it 12-0 before and Bobby Leitzel laced a two-run single through the right side of the infield to wrap up the barrage.

With plenty of run support behind him, Ryan Bergenhagen went to work on the mound for the Saints. The senior allowed just one hit through four innings of work and struck out six batters. MU's bullpen followed Bergenhagen's strong start with four shutout innings over the remainder of the contest. Kenny Sysyn struck out a pair of batters in one inning of work while Kyle Lewis and Clint Wheeler each rang up one strikeout.

As Marymount's arms cruised on the mound, the Saints offense found success in the fifth and sixth innings. Baker came through for MU in the fifth frame with a sacrifice fly that plated Lee. The Blue and White followed that up with a serious display of power in the sixth frame. After Alex Lemery and Maylie opened the inning with back-to-back walks, Wojcik stepped up to the plate. The senior brought the crowd to life with one crack of the bat as he launched a three-run home run over the left field wall to give the game its final scoreline.

The postseason continues for the Saints on Friday, May 21. MU will play Cabrini University at 3:30 p.m. on the turf at Nats Youth Academy. For up-to-date AEC tournament information, please visit our tournament page here.