GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Matt Mikulski hurled 7 1/3 innings of one-run, three-hit baseball to power Fordham to a 5-1 victory over Furman in the opening game of a three-game series Friday evening at Latham Stadium.

The win improves Fordham to 3-6 on the year while Furman falls to 5-4.

Mikulski (1-1), a junior left-hander, yielded only three singles and worked around four walks by recording five strikeouts and picking off a pair of Paladin base runners.  The Mohegan Lake, N.Y., product threw 108 pitches, including 62 strikes, and yielded only an unearned run in the eighth inning.

Furman starting pitcher Stone Simmons (0-2) was also effective over seven innings of work, allowing only three hits and two runs, only one of which was earned.  The Paladin right-hander walked one and struck out eight.

The Rams pushed across the first run in the fourth when Jason Coules stroked a one-out double into right center field and came around to score on an Alvin Melendez single thru the left side of the infield.

Fordham made it 2-0 in the sixth after Jake Guercio was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and scored on a Coules' sacrifice fly.

The Rams stretched their advantage to 5-0 in the eighth with three, two-out runs.  After Paladin reliever Matt Lazzaro issued a pair of walks with two outs, Melendez lined a one-ball, one-strike offering into left field to plate two more runs, and Jake MacKenzie raced home with the inning's third run after Lazzaro's throw to first base pulled Dax Roper off the bag.

Furman avoided the shutout in the eighth after Adam Healy drew a leadoff walk and scored on a wild pitch.

Melendez had two of Fordham's five hits and drove home three runs with a 2-for-4 performance.

The Paladins had only three hits in the contest.

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