GREENVILLE, S.C. -- David Webel delivered a game tying two-out RBI single and Jordan Starkes scored the go-ahead run from second base on the play to lift Furman past Northern Kentucky, 9-8, in the opener of a three-game weekend baseball series Friday at Latham Stadium.

After building a 7-1 lead, Furman watched it erased by the Norse, who scored twice in the seventh and five times in the eighth to go up, 8-7. 

In the Paladin eighth leadoff hitter Dax Roper was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on wild pitch, and to third on a passed ball. He then raced home to tie the game on Webel's infield single, which also allowed Jordan Starkes to sprint home from second base ahead of the tag after Norse shortstop Andrew Bacon's throw to first base failed to retire Webel.

In the ninth Matt Lazzaro, Furman's seventh pitcher of the contest, walked one batter and hit another but recovered to get John Odom to bounce into to a game ending double play.

Furman appeared to be in control early after striking for six first inning runs on the strength of a Trent Alley three-run home run to left field, his second of the season.

Northern Kentucky got on the board with a run in the third against Paladin freshman starting pitcher Stone Simmons, but the right-hander from Houston, Texas, kept the Norse at bay thru five innings, allowing just the single run on eight hits while walking one and notching six strikeouts.

Roper extended Furman's lead to 7-1 in the fifth with a solo blast into the trees on top of the hill beyond the left center field fence.

Northern Kentucky began its comeback in the seventh, plating a pair of runs off Paladin reliever Jeremiah Garcia to make it 7-3.

It continued in the eighth as the Norse took full advantage of four walks by Paladin pitching and three passed balls to plate five runs on a just two hits while taking an 8-7 lead.  Griffin Doersching's RBI single tied the game at 7-7, and Bacon sprinted home for the go-ahead run on the third passed ball of the frame.  Matthew Marchal, the Paladins' third pitcher of the inning, finally put a halt to the mess by retiring Jayden Wakeham on a fly ball.

Marchal (1-1), a product of Greenville's St. Joseph's School, was the beneficiary of the Paladins' two-run eighth, earning his first collegiate victory.

The loss went to Tyler Keith (0-1), who yielded the winning run in the decisive eighth.

Lazzaro was credited with the save, the first of his career.

The Norse out-hit Furman 12-10, getting a 4-for-4, four-RBI performance from Jake Murray.

Banks Griffith paced the Paladins with three hits.  Alley's three-run first inning blast was his second of the season.

The two teams play again Saturday at 3:00 p.m.