NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster College baseball team lost, 9-2, to the University of Mount Union in their home-opener on Wednesday.
 
Mount Union (12-5) jumped out to a 5-0 lead with five runs in the fifth. The Purple Raiders added two more in the fourth and two in the top of the sixth and lead 9-0. Junior Dante Parente (Beaver Falls, PA / Blackhawk) got Westminster (7-6) on the board with a double to left field, scoring junior Tyler Barnot (Pittsburgh, PA / Bethel Park). Two batters later, junior Jaret Johnson (Niles, OH / Niles McKinley) singled in classmate Frank Cinicola (Cranberry Township, PA / Seneca Valley) for the final run of the contest.
 
Mount out-hit Westminster, 12-9. Senior Hunter Alexander (Beaver Falls, PA / Blackhawk) led the Titans at the plate as he went 3-for-3 with a walk. Johnson and freshman Matt Costello (New Castle, PA / Union Area) each had two hits. Alexander and Parente connected on a double apiece. Parente now has five doubles on the year, second-best on the team.
 
Titan junior pitcher Dante Sienko (Wexford, PA / Pine-Richland) moved to 1-1 on the season as he pitched one inning, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks.
 
Westminster will next play a nine-inning game at Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Grove City College on Friday, March 29 with a 4 p.m. start.