Rocky Mount, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan opened its 2012 baseball season at Bauer Field over the weekend by hosting a pair of non-conference twinbills with Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater College. NCWC earned a split with the Royals on Saturday, taking the opener by a 5-2 score thanks to a solid pitching performance by senior Kaleb Wessell. Unfortunately, the Bishops suffered a sweep at the hands of the Eagles on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon to finish the weekend 1-3.

In Saturday's opener, the Bishops erased an early 1-0 deficit with a two-run second inning that saw freshman Stephen Machin and sophomore Alexis Rodriguez each tally an RBI. The Royals knotted the score by scratching a run in their next at-bat, but Wesleyan countered with three runs in the fifth for the 5-2 final. Junior Tyler Clark drove home the eventual game-winning run with a single to left, while freshman J.J. Rodriguez delivered a two-out, two-run single to center to give the Bishops some breathing room.

Wessell scattered three hits and gave up two runs (one earned) over four innings of work. Senior Justin Shearin (1-0) picked up the win in relief after tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings, while sophomore Will Beasley recorded the final five outs for his first save of the season.

EMU took the nightcap by a 9-1 score. Senior Zach Moore singled home the Bishops' only run in the fifth.

In Sunday's opener versus Bridgewater, each team scratched a pair of runs in the first as the two squads combined for five hits and three errors in the frame. The Eagles later carried a 5-2 lead into the fifth only to see the Bishops plate two runs to pull within one, 5-4. Clark scampered home on a wild pitch, while sophomore Hayden Williams drove home NCWC's fourth run with a single to right.

Bridgewater increased its lead to 8-4 with single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but the Bishops made things interesting in their final at-bat. Wesleyan loaded the bases with three straight two-out singles to bring the tying run to the plate, but Eagle pitcher Dillon Via (1-0) ended the threat with his third strikeout of the game.

Despite the loss, Wesleyan amassed 15 hits in the game compared to just eight for the Eagles.

In the weekend finale, Bridgewater cruised to a 17-1 win as Eagle hurler Robert Gallet (1-0) scattered six hits over six innings. Clark collected two of those hits and drove home the Bishops' lone run.

The Bishops return to action next weekend when they host a four-game set with Polytechnic of New York. Saturday's doubleheader is slated for an 11:00am start at Bauer Field.