FLEMINGTON, N.J. – The Cairn University baseball team lost, 8-7, in their season opener against non-conference foe New Jersey City University at Diamond Nation on Wednesday evening.
 
Jersey City (1-0) struck first, plating two runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Cairn (0-1) scored the next four runs of the contest, highlighted by a solo home run by senior Ryan Clark (Babylon, NY / Clarks Summit University) in the top of the fifth inning, giving the Highlanders a 4-2 advantage after five. The Gothic Knights wound up reclaiming the lead in the seventh inning and held a 7-6 advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth. In that half, the Highlanders knotted the game up at seven a-piece after Clark reached on a pop-up in no man's land on the left side of the infield to score junior Cameron Culver (Croydon, PA / Truman HS). Jersey City had the answer in the top of the ninth, scoring on a wild pitch in the dirt to take an 8-7 lead into the final half inning. Cairn threatened by putting two runners in scoring position, but couldn't bring the tying run across.
 
Clark led the way offensively for the Highlanders with one hit and a pair of RBIs to go along with his solo homer. Classmates Tyler Fox (Boyertown, PA / West-Mont Christian Academy) and Joe Greenwood (Wall, NJ / Calvary Academy) and freshman Jared Sucro (Kamloops, British Columbia / St. Ann's Academy) each collected one base-knock, while senior Joshua Melchior (Boyertown, PA / Valley Forge Baptist Academy) swiped three bases in the contest. Graduate Student Carson Conradt (Chino Hills, CA / Chino Hills) got the opening-day start, tossing six innings, scattering six hits, four runs (three earned) and striking out six in a no-decision effort.
 
Cairn will be back in action on Saturday, February 26 when its returns to Diamond Nation for a doubleheader with non-conference adversary Houghton College starting at 12 p.m.