The Mary Washington baseball team (7-1) fell to Piedmont for its first loss of the 2024 season, 2-1, in Kodak, Tenn. on Saturday afternoon.

UMW's senior right-hander Justin Ritz pitched well for six-plus innings on Saturday afternoon, striking out five and yielding just two runs on seven hits. On the other side, Piedmont's starting pitcher, Zeke Swartz, matched Ritz pitch for pitch, going 6 1/3 innings and yielding the Eagles' only run of the game in the seventh.

Piedmont jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning before the Eagles tied it in the top of the seventh with Ryan Schwarz's RBI base hit that scored George Rizzo. The Eagles could've picked up another run in the inning as Burke Stiefman singled with two outs, but Oliver Martin stumbled around third before he was cut down at the plate.

In the bottom of the seventh, Piedmont scored the go-ahead run with a one-out RBI knock.

Schwarz, Stiefman, Martin and Luke Guerzon recorded all four base hits for the Eagles in their first game on Saturday. Brendan McComber, meanwhile, recorded the final six outs for the Eagles on the mound, saving their bullpen for the rest of the weekend.

Of note: Senior Noah Roots made his return for the Eagles since Opening Day on Feb. 14 as he pinch-hit in the seventh inning.

The Eagles are back in action on at 6 p.m. on Saturday night in Kodak, Tenn., taking on Ferrum for their first meeting since the 2011 season.