BREVARD, N.C. – The 2026 season was ushered in for the Guilford College baseball team (0-1, 0-0 ODAC), albeit in a less-than-fortuitous manner on Wednesday afternoon, as Brevard College (4-0, 0-0 USA South) clubbed 19 hits in a 16-5 run-rule decision at Gil Coan Field.

Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) got the opening day nod for the second time in his career and the Tornados had little trouble picking him up, tagging the senior to the tune of seven runs on nine hits and a walk over just 2.1 innings. The first of six Quakers to toe the slab, Ricigliano never ended up off the hook, dropping to 0-1 on the season.

Jonah Campbell did not qualify for the win in his collegiate debut, tossing 2.0 innings allowing two runs, both earned, on three hits, a walk, and a hit batsman. Allowing a single run on three hits with a strikeout over 2.0 innings of work, Gage Granata was instead credited with the victory, improving to 1-0 on the young season.

The Quaker offense racked up a ton of traffic, accruing 10 hits, a couple walks, and a HBP, but they were unable to keep pace with the Brevard bats. Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.) accounted for a pair of runs with a two-run homerun in his Guilford debut. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) finished 2-for-4 with a double, driving in a run and scoring another while Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) also picked up a pair of hits and an RBI. Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) and Dom Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) each doubled and scored in the contest as well.

All-but one Tornado starter got at least one hit on the afternoon, headlined by the effort of Lucas Woodard who finished 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and three driven in. Davis Anders hit a homerun and scored twice in a 2-for-3 showing with a walk while Hunter Busque hit safely in both of his at-bats, collecting a double and an RBI, scoring twice. Tyson Hinkle finished 3-for-4 with a couple of RBIs as well for the hosts.

The first inning looked like it would transpire very differently then it wound up occurring as Cole Price (Summerfield, N.C.) singled and got to second on a passed ball, but he ended up erased when Smith smoked a liner to center and Gavin Grant made a diving catch coming in, doubling off Price due to the stellar defensive effort. In the home half, Grant singled right away but was nullified by a Woodard two-ball. However, Anders singled and stole second, Gavin McCoy singled him home, then Busque and Nico Bartolotti each split gaps with run-scoring doubles, although the later was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, staking the hosts to a 3-0 lead quickly

The Quakers countered in short order in the second when Rodrigues got bailed out of a two-strike hole, getting plunked to open the inning then Myers introduced himself to Guilford in the loudest manner possible, tomahawking the first pitch he saw over the left-centerfield fence for a two-run home run. GC threatened for more in the inning but unfortunately could not scratch across another then Ricigliano gave it right back, allowing consecutive singles to open the inning, then getting the next two men via a fielder's choice, forcing out the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt try, and an infield fly, but Woodard bashed one off the base of the fence for a two-out, two-run double to make the score 5-2 through two.

GC got another run in the fourth with two outs when Pegues went to the opposite field for a double then Gavin Fleming (Gibsonville, N.C.) reached on an infield hit that featured miscommunication covering the first base bag. Pegues was off on contact with two down and aggressively took home, reaching safely as his slide jarred the ball free from the glove of Busque. The Quakers threatened on various other occasions, but could not string together another rally until the seventh. Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) pinch hit and drew a walk with one out before Dark got ahold of his first extra-base hit of the new year, splitting right-center with an RBI-double. Smith chased him in with a single then Rodrigues went to the opposite field with a double as well although the two of them were stranded with Guilford getting their run total up to five.

All the while, the Tornados were racking up runs in multiples, blowing the game open with four in the third, two in the fourth and fifth, and three in the sixth, burying GC with a 16-5 run-rule win.

Guilford makes their home debut on Friday, February 13^th opening a three-game set against Lycoming at 2:00 PM at McBane Field.

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