ROME -- The Hawks split the doubleheader with Eckerd Saturday afternoon to open the season; winning game one 4-3, before falling in game two 4-0.

The Tritons jumped out to an early lead, scoring one each in the third and fourth. Before the Hawks answered in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead in half as Nathaniel Butterworth delivered a double down the left field line to play Bailey Gerstner for the 2-1 score. Eckerd countered in the fifth for a run to make it a 3-1 game. Only to have Shorter take advantage of an error to cut the lead back to one in the bottom of the inning, before tacking on two in the sixth to earn the win, 4-3.

Banks Woodley got the win, allowing one earned run on eight hits with six strikeouts through seven innings; while Peyton Moore earned the save with a scoreless two innings with two strikeouts.

Game two was all Eckerd, as they Tritons jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third, before adding to it in the fifth with a homerun from Justin Glover. And tacked on two in the seventh for the 4-0 score. The Hawks threatened in their final at-bat but came up empty despite loading the bases on three straight walks.

Jacob Ramos took the loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts through six innings of work.

Butterworth, Samyr Santos and Raul Cortes each tallied two hits on the afternoon to lead the Hawks.

Shorter will look to take the series Sunday afternoon. Game time is set for 12:00pm.