Demorest, Ga. -- The 16th-ranked University of Lynchburg baseball team wasted no time getting in the win column in 2023, taking control early on in Friday's season debut to top Wilmington, 7-2, in the opening game of the Piedmont Early Spring Tournament.

Zack Potts dominated through six innings on the mound for the Hornets, while Riley O'Donovan had three RBI, and Ryan Long and Holden Fiedler each collected a pair of hits and an RBI each.

After Potts set the Quakers down in order in the top of the first, Brandon Garcia led off the bottom half with an infield single. The Hornets loaded the bases with nobody out for O'Donovan, who scorched a three-run double into the gap to put Lynchburg ahead 3-0 in the early going.

Carrson Atkins added an insurance run with his RBI single in the fourth, bringing Long in to score. Meanwhile, Potts mowed Wilmington's hitters down; the right-hander scattered four hits and struck out six on his way to six shutout innings and the win.

Lynchburg's offense gained more breathing room in the seventh. Avery Neaves led off the inning with a walk and came around to score on Gavin Collins' RBI single that made it 5-0 in the Hornets' favor. Long added a sacrifice fly in the inning, and Lynchburg made it a 7-0 lead on Fiedler's RBI single.

Wilmington took advantage of a leadoff single and a Hornet error to score twice in the eighth, but senior Ángel Collazo came in to toss a perfect 1 ⅓ innings of relief, nailing down the win.

Lynchburg (1-0) will continue its season-opening roadtrip at Piedmont Saturday with a 4 p.m. game against the host Lions.

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--LYN--