BECKLEY, West Virginia — The WVU Tech baseball team started a three-game series with the College of Saint Joseph's (Vermont) Friday afternoon at the Linda K. Epling Stadium by falling 12-9 after nine innings.

A six-run sixth inning by Saint Joseph's (18-9) put them on top 7-4 and the Golden Bears (17-7) were unable to regain the lead despite notching ten hits in the game. Tech's opponent managed 20 hits against four Golden Bears who threw from the bump.

Junior Sebastian Gomez Herrera and senior Doug Prather drove in two runs and recorded two hits each, junior Tanner Levine added a pair of hits and scored three runs while Herrera and freshman Roy Suzuki posted doubles to lead the Gold and Blue at the plate.

Senior Dylan Harvey, junior Marcus Rodriguez and Prather had a stolen base each.

Junior Austin Southcott (3-2) was responsible for seven earned runs off of ten hits and 3.1 innings in his second loss of the season. Southcott also retired four Fighting Saints.

Senior Brandon Tucker put in 3.2 innings of work, scattering six hits and two earned runs while striking out one batter. Sophomore Nick Brumfield finished on the bump, giving up three hits and one earned run while posting one strike out.

The teams will meet again tomorrow, Saturday in East Bank, West Virginia to complete the series with a doubleheader at Douglas M. Epling Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.