The Misericordia University baseball team dropped a pair of close games, 5-2, 4-1 in its season opener, Saturday  at Shenandoah.

Brooks Kanwisher went 3-for-4 in the first game of the doubleheader while Drew Van Horn drove in two runs on the day.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the opener.  Owen Daminger led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a single by Kanwisher.  Van Horn followed with a single to give the Cougars an early lead.

Shenandoah responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs on a three-run home run.

Misericordia answered in the third inning. Daminger and Owen Cordner reached base on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, respectively, and Kanwisher drove in a run with an RBI single to left field, cutting the Hornets' lead to one at 3-2.

Both pitching staffs kept the opposing offenses quiet until the Hornets added two insurance runs in the eighth inning.

In game two, Shenandoah scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run.  The Hornets extended their lead to 4-0 with a pair of doubles in the sixth inning.

Misericordia got on the board in the seventh inning. Van Horn walked and Jake McDonough followed with a single. Dylan Cerone walked to load the bases and Vin Proietto was hit by a pitch, forcing Van Horn home and cutting the Hornets' lead to 4-1.