ALEXANDRIA, La. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team opened play at the Texas Roadhouse Red River Classic on Friday, February 13, facing LSU Alexandria in its first game of the weekend. The Cougars fell to the Generals 10-7.

LSU Alexandria struck first with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Saint Francis answered in the fifth, as Ayden Lichtensteiger delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game. Later in the inning, AJ Patton lined a two-run double to right-center, giving the Cougars a 3-1 advantage.

The Generals responded with a run in the bottom half of the fifth to pull within one. Saint Francis added to its lead in the sixth, using a pair of singles to extend the margin to 6-2. However, LSU Alexandria capitalized on a big inning in the bottom of the sixth to regain control, pushing across eight runs to take a 10-6 lead.

A wild pitch allowed the Cougars to plate a run in the eighth, but their comeback effort fell short as the Generals secured the 10-7 victory.

As a team, Saint Francis finished with seven hits and 11 walks. Xavier Nolan and AJ Patton drove in two runs apiece, with Nolan adding two stolen bases. Patton and Xavier Gonsalves each recorded a steal, while Cole Kintz added a double.

Jaden Markus got the start on the mound, tossing 4.0 innings.Jacob Bardwell took the loss after giving up four runs in 0.1 innings of relief. 

Up next, SF baseball (1-4) will play two more games as part of the Texas Roadhouse Red River Classic against No. 7 Loyola University New Orleans and LSU Alexandria on Saturday, February 14.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and  Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.