MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Lorenzo Elion went 1-for-3 hitting a home run, with two runs scored, RBI, and a walk in his debut in an Oakland uniform while Cam Post hit 2-for-4 with a double as the Golden Grizzlies fell in the season opener, 7-4, at Middle Tennessee State on Monday. Jared Miller hit 1-for-4 also with two runs scored while Reagan Paulina added a pinch-hit RBI single.

Travis Densmore picked up the loss on the mound going 1.2 innings with three strikeouts. Bryce Konitzer tossed 4.0 innings in relief racking up five strikeouts while Seth Tucker added two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.

After Middle Tennessee State raced out to a 4-0 lead with three runs in the first and one run in the second inning, Elion got Oakland on the board with a solo shot to left field. The Blue Raiders responded in the bottom of the frame plating a run off a bases-loaded walk followed by a wild pitch increasing the lead to 5-1.

The Golden Grizzlies then got a pair of runners on base in the top of the sixth inning off a hit-by-pitch and walk. After a flyout, Brenton Phillips reached on a throwing error that also plated Miller and Elion to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. However, MTSU got a run back in the bottom half off an error to move ahead 7-3.

Oakland got a golden opportunity in the eighth inning as Miller led off with a single, followed by Post's double and walk from Phillips to load the bases. Paulina delivered a pinch-hit single to score Miller but Post was caught in a rundown between third and home to end the inning with the Golden Grizzlies training 7-4.

Both teams conclude the series with a doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb, 23 beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Game one will be nine innings while the nightcap will be seven innings.



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