Marion, N.C. - The Johnson & Wales Charlotte baseball team earned the program's first win with a 26-21 victory over Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.) on Saturday afternoon.

The game was a wild, back-and-forth affair as the teams combined for 47 runs and 35 hits. The Knights led 4-3 after the first inning, and 10-8 after four and a half, only to see the Wildcats score five in the bottom of the fourth, as Jayden Nezaj and Jordan Brown each had two RBI singles. MSM answered with eight runs in the fifth, only to see the Wildcats score six of their own, highlighted by Marco Fernamdez's bases-clearing double. The Wildcats took the lead for good in the sixth after Carlitos Ramirez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Fernandez delivered the exclamation point a few pitches later, as he hit a grand slam to left center field.

Fernandex finished with three hits, two of them for extra bases, and drove in eight. Sami Nezaj also had a three hit game, scoring four runs. Brown drove in five while scoring thrice. Logan Howland scored four runs and Stetson Stack stole two bases. Hunter Conn-Beck pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing three earned runs, walking one, and striking out two to earn the win.

Mount Saint Mary won Saturday's second game 7-2, as they broke open a game that was tied at one through four innings. The Wildcats were limited to just two hits by the Knights pitching duo of Michael Pisseri and Kyle Fives. Leo Justen pitched five innings for the Wildcats, giving up three runs, while striking out four and walking three. Cannon Jackon hit a solo home run in the fourth for JWU.

The two teams conclude the weekend series on Sunday at 12pm.