TUCSON, Ariz. - The Gustavus baseball team Tuesday lost its first game of the season, 11-9 to Wheaton at the Tucson Invitational. The Gusties, now 4-1 overall, couldn't recover after allowing five runs in the sixth and another four in the eighth. 

After a scoreless first inning, Wheaton got on the board in the second on a suicide squeeze bunt. The Thunder gained a 2-0 lead in the fourth after a hit by pitch and RBI single, but the Gusties responded with four runs in the bottom half. Sam Schneider hit an RBI single to scored Isaac Becker, who reached on a walk. Mitch Casperson hit a two-run single to right followed by a sac fly by Bryce Novak. 

In his first start of the season, Adam Biewen left the mound with the lead after five innings. He allowed one earned run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. The Thunder were happy to see Biewen leave the mound as they immediately scored five runs in the sixth on just two hits, three walks, and two hit by pitches. 

The Gusties got a pair of runs back in the bottom half as Novak scored on a throwing error and Gavin Baker hit an RBI single to make the score 7-6. After a scoreless seventh inning, the Thunder tacked on four more runs in the eighth on four hits. 

Gustavus did not go quietly, though, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Novak was hit by a pitch, Baker doubled to right, and Chris Knowles followed with a three-run homer, his third of the season, to make the score 11-9. The Gusties retired the Thunder in order in the ninth, but couldn't put together a rally in the bottom half and suffered their first loss. 

Novak (2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 HBP) and Baker (2-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB) led at the plate. 

The Gusties play Dakota Wesleyan tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
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