Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Senior Nicko Burnett went 3-for-4 and fell a triple shy of a cycle in leading the Swarthmore College baseball team to a 9-3 win over Cairn in its home opener on Thursday, March 20 at Clothier Field.

After Burnett started the scoring in the bottom of the second by blasting a solo home run down the line in left, the Garnet added three runs in the third and fourth frames to pull away. Burnett and junior Danny McMahon had RBI singles before sophomore Roy Walker drew a walk with the bases loaded to force home McMahon and make it 4-0. Freshman Wesley Fishburn then capped the scoring in the fourth with a two-run single that gave the Garnet a 7-0 cushion.

Cairn (2-8) attempted to rally and got on the board in the top of the sixth courtesy of a two-run double to the gap in right center by Kenny Searle. The Highlanders tallied another run in the seventh on a wild pitch, but that was as close as they would come the rest of the way.

Freshman Aidan Miller picked up his first collegiate victory for Swarthmore and ended the afternoon with a 1-0 ledger. He struck out six, allowed one hit and issued only one walk over five shutout innings. Cairn's Jon Sanville suffered the loss and dropped to 0-2 after being lit up for nine runs, including eight earned, and seven hits.

Swarthmore (7-4) continues its homestand tomorrow afternoon when it hosts Penn State Brandywine at 3:30 p.m.