GREENVILLE, S.C. -- John Michael Bertrand pitched six innings of two-hit, one-run ball and Furman used a couple of productive middle innings at the plate to beat La Salle, 7-5, in the 2020 baseball season opener for both teams Friday afternoon at Latham Stadium.

Bertrand (1-0), a redshirt junior left-hander, surrendered a second inning solo home run but rebounded to retire 15 consecutive Explorers before departing with a 6-1 lead.  The Alpharetta, Ga., product struck out seven and did not issue a walk, going to a three-ball count on just one batter in his 74-pitch outing.

The Paladins managed just one hit against La Salle starting pitcher Colin Scanlon (0-1) over the first five innings, but a one-out fielding error by Scanlon in the fifth helped set the table for a three-run frame for Furman.  With two outs, freshman Aidan Healy laced a two-run double down the left field line to give the Paladins a 2-1 lead.  Jordan Starkes followed with a single up the middle to drive home Healy to make it 3-1.

In the sixth Furman roughed up La Salle reliever Colin Kennedy for three runs on four hits.  Dax Roper's RBI single drove home Logan Taplett.  Trent Alley made it 5-1 when he raced home on a wild pitch, and Banks Griffith's two-out, RBI single that scored Jared Mihalik capped the frame.

The Paladins led 7-2 after eight innings before the Explorers tallied three, two-out runs against freshman right-hander Dominic Pianto, who recovered to strike out Jack Cucinotta looking to end the game.

LaSalle's four-hit ninth gave them 10 hits in the contest while Furman finished with eight.

Furman's Jake Crawford, who missed the 2019 season due to injury, returned to action and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Healy, making his collegiate debut, backed up his two-run third inning double with a running catch in the ninth as he crashed into right field fence on fly ball off the bat of Elijah Dickerson.

The two teams play game two of the series Saturday at 1:00 p.m.