FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Norwich University baseball team posted its first victory of the season in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with Westminster College. After falling to the Titans by a 12-2 margin in the first game, the Cadets walked off with a 4-3 win in the finale. 

Norwich exited play on Sunday with a 1-7 record while Westminster, competing in its first games of the year, finished with a 1-1 mark. The Cadets will take on Marywood (Pa.) this Thursday, Mar. 16 at 11 a.m. in Vero Beach, Fla. 

Pinch hitter Kevin Lynch (Randolph, Mass.) delivered the game-winning single for Norwich in game two, driving home Brandon Pedley (Northfield, Vt.) to secure the team's first victory in 12 games dating back to last season. The inning started off with back-to-back errors by the Titans, the latter of which allowed pinch runner Brady Doherty (Sandwich, Mass.) to score the tying run. 

The Cadets got on the board first in the contest as leadoff hitter LaShawn Thomas (San Antonio, Texas) singled and was later moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following a Thomas stolen base, freshman Andrew Fisher (Tewksbury, Mass.) singled to plate the first Norwich run of the afternoon. A two-RBI triple by Westminster in the third inning, however, lifted the Titans to a 2-1 lead. 

Thomas scored his team's second run of the day, reaching on an error before a groundout by junior Drew Caldwell (Hanover, Mass.) brought the runner home. In the meantime, Norwich pitcher Kaleb Smith (Dover Foxcroft, Maine) kept his team in the game through six innings, allowing only two earned runs while striking out four batters. 

A sacrifice fly by Westminster in the top of the seventh inning would create a 3-2 deficit for Norwich to overcome in the bottom half of the inning. 

Junior pitcher Eddie Gates (Griswold, Conn.) earned the win for Norwich, pitching the final inning and allowing an unearned run. Cody Acon started for Westminster, striking out six batters in six innings before being relieved by Justin Abbs, who allowed two unearned runs in the seventh inning to draw the loss. 

In the first game of the afternoon, Westminster opened up an 8-0 lead over the Cadets through the first two innings and never looked back. Senior Billy Whaley (Northfield, Vt.) produced his team's first run of the day with a groundout to short, earning the RBI, and Thomas scored his team's second run, reaching on a single and stealing back-to-back bases before a sacrifice fly from sophomore Mike Lesco (Somers, Conn.). 

Sophomore Jacob Ryan (Arlington, Mass.) drew the loss for Norwich, allowing eight earned runs through one inning of work. Sophomore Matt Paze (Carlisle, Mass.) came on in relief, striking out three batters and yielding four earned runs. Freshman Eric Gerdes (Roxbury, Vt.) was the third and final Cadets pitcher of the afternoon, striking out one of his two batters faced. 

Senior Nate McMaster was the winning pitcher in game one for Westminster, striking out five Cadets and allowing only one earned run.