Jacksonville, Florida-After having their original season opener canceled due to rain on Friday, the 2022 HBCU National Champion Edward Waters baseball squad finally began the defense of their championship on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers faced their longtime rival Florida Memorial in a rematch of last year's NAIA Bracket Championship at the Tyson Foods Black College World Series that EWU won 9-8 en route to the HBCU title. Edward Waters split both games of a doubleheader, winning 5-3 in Game One, but dropping Game Two 6-1 in 11 innings.

GAME ONE:  Edward Waters 5, Florida Memorial 3:
The two squads were kept scoreless in the opener until the top of the 2nd inning, when the visitors cracked the scoreboard first on an EWU error to take a 1-0 lead. FMU added a second run in the top of the 3rd on the strength of a solo home run to extend their advantage to 2-0.

Edward Waters finally got on the scoreboard in a big way in the bottom half of the fifth inning, scoring five runs. Hugo Schoening was able to reach thanks to an FMU error that scored two runs to knot the contest up at two. Newcomer Dwanye Maduro then smacked an RBI single to left field, followed by junior Daiton Pass' two-RBI single that gave the Purple & Orange a 5-2 lead. 

FMU was able to make things slightly interesting in the top of the 8th inning with an RBI single to score a run, but relief pitcher Austin James was able to come in and close the door to give the Tigers a two-run victory.

Pass and Payton Shubert each led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-4 in the contest. Alexander Davila earned the victory for the Tigers, going seven complete innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and recorded five strikeouts.

GAME TWO: Florida Memorial 6, Edward Waters 1 (11 innings):
Edward Waters starter Will Valenti and Florida Memorial starter William Hiciano went toe-to-toe in Game Two, each keeping hitters off balance in the contest. The scoreboard was not cracked until the top of the seventh inning when FMU scored on an RBI single to left field to take the 1-0 lead.

The Tigers had a golden opportunity to try and walk the contest off in the bottom of the ninth inning as EWU had base loaded with one out. Ferante Cowart was able to come home and score on a passed ball to knot the score up at one. After an intentional walk to Luis Garcia, Dwanye Maduro was forced out at home on a Daquarius Thompkins fielder's choice, then Payton Shubert flied out to center field, squashing the Tigers chance at a dramatic walkoff victory.

The contest went into extra innings, however things turned against Edward Waters in the top of the eleventh inning, when the Lions plated five runs to put a stranglehold on the contest and earn a split of the day's action.

In Game Two, FMU got their bats going with 13 hits while Edward Waters had just three. Will Valenti went four innings and recorded five strikeouts in the matchup, earning a no-decision. Relief pitcher Darius Blasingane took the loss for Edward Waters, despite recording four punchouts in his return to the squad.

Edward Waters will continue their season opening homestand on Tuesday evening with a 5:00pm first pitch against former Sun Conference foe Embry-Riddle at J. P. Small Park.

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