Lourdes opened the 2021 baseball season on Saturday morning, dropping an 9-6 decision to Truett McConnell at the Grizzley Baseball Complex in Lawrenceville, Ga.  The Gray Wolves trailed third-ranked Georgia Gwinnett, the weekend host, in the evening game 7-1 in the bottom of the third when the game was suspended due to a power outage.
 
"I liked how we played today," head coach Josh Bradford said following the game.  "Our bats started slowing but we finally got them going.  We just did not string hits together.  We played a competitive game until the end."
 
The Gray Wolves fell behind early against the Bears, allowing a pair of runs in each of the first two innings.
 
Lourdes bats came alive in the third as the Gray Wolves erupted for four in the top of the third to tie the game.  Gabe Scott (Curtis, Ohio/Genoa H.S.) delivered a RBI single to put Lourdes on the scoreboard, plating Jay Denman (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales H.S.), who drew a one-out walk.  Scott scored two batters later on a run-scoring single by Brad Ammons (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.).  Joey Oehlers (Lambertville, Mich./Bedford H.S.) tied the game with a double to left-center, plating Scott and Noah Childress (Toledo, Ohio/Start H.S.).
 
Truett McConnell (7-3) took the lead for good in the fifth before adding another run in the seventh.  Oehlers delivered his third RBI of the game in the top of the eight, singling home Scott to pull the Gray Wolves back within one, 6-5.
 
The Bears broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of four walks in the inning to score three times.  Lourdes managed one final run in the ninth as Denman scored on an error.
 
Oehlers and Ammons both had two hits for the Gray Wolves in the opener as Lourdes managed just six total for the game.
 
Mikal Mascarello led Truett McConnell with three hits and three runs batted in as the Bears tallied 12 hits on the day. 
 
Cason Brown earned the win (1-1) for the Bears, tossing seven innings while allowing four runs on five hits and striking out eight.  Anderson Strunk (New Baltimore, Mich./Algonac H.S.) suffered the loss (0-1) for the Gray Wolves, yielding just two runs and four hits while fanning four in four innings of relief.
 
"Anderson pitched really well," Bradford added.  "He gave us a chance to win the game coming in out of the pen in a tie game."
 
In the nightcap against Georgia Gwinnett, Lourdes fell behind early when there was a power outage at the field.  The Grizzlies led 7-1 with two outs in the bottom of the third.
 
Lourdes (0-1) and Georgia Gwinnett will resume the suspended game on Sunday beginning at noon before playing another nine-inning game following the completion of game one.