The Case Western Reserve University baseball team dropped the first game of the Carolina portion of its Spring Break trip, losing to Brevard College 10-5 at Gil Coan Field in Brevard, North Carolina on Thursday.

The Spartans drop to 3-5 on the season while the Tornados improve to 10-5.

CWRU started the game strong, scoring two runs in the first inning on a double from graduate student designated hitter Tre Armstrong. With runners on base and two outs, Armstrong hit a ball to center field that fell for a hit, giving Case Western Reserve an early 2-0.

However, Brevard took advantage of a throwing error with runners on the corners to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the first inning. The Spartans used another two-out rally in the third inning to push their advantage back to two. Junior outfielder Kevin Mackenzie delivered a bases-loaded single to give CWRU a 3-1.

The Spartans expanded their lead in the fourth inning, adding two more runs. After senior outfielder Cole Jarrett and junior catcher Jack Anderson reached scoring position on a wild pitch, junior outfielder Flynn Lenahan drove them in with a single to right field increasing the Spartan lead to four.

Brevard scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut into the CWRU lead. The hosts then used a three-run sixth inning to take their first lead of the afternoon and added four more in the eighth inning to reach double digits. Despite putting runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth, the Spartans could not break through and fell to Brevard by five.

Junior infielder Nick Talarico finished the day two-for-four with a walk and a run scored. Sophomore third baseman Zack Carinci reached twice on walks and scored twice, while Armstrong drove in two and walked once. Anderson added two walks and two steals.

CWRU will look to rebound as the team starts a four-game series with No. 1 Cortland on Friday in Lexington, South Carolina. First pitch is now scheduled for 1:30 p.m.