SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Evangel University took all three games in the 2016 opening series for the Nebraska Wesleyan University baseball team on Friday and Saturday in Sprinfield, Mo.

Evangel won the the opening game in a pitcher's dual on Friday afternoon with a 2-1 victory.  EU won 5-0 and 7-1 in the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

The Prairie Wolves struggled to get their offense going in the first three games as they scored only two runs in 23 innings of action.  NWU did compile 17 total hits in the three games, but could not string together key hits with runners in scoring position to take advantage of scoring opportunities.

Friday's game was a classic pitchers' dual between Jordyn Johnson of NWU and Justin Stockam of Evangel.  Johnson went seven innings allowing only five hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts.  Neither team scored through the first five innings of the game.  Finally NWU got on the scoreboard in the top of the 6th.  James McKain hit an RBI single to drive in Joe Babic to put the Prairie Wolves ahead.  Evangel answered with one run in the 6th, then got the go-ahead run after a lead-off triple in the 7th.

Saturday, NWU finished with seven hits in the opening game while Evangel had eight hits.  EU took advantage of their hits and used a 2-run triple and home run to highlight their 5-0 win.  Freshman Brody Murphy took the loss in his first career start going 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Chase Powers was the leader of the NWU offense going 2-4 on the day.

In the final game, NWU scored in the top of the 1st inning to get out to a 1-0 lead, but Evangel scored five runs over the next three innings and went on to the 7-1 win.  James McKain walked with the bases loaded to give NWU their lone run as McKain was responsible for both Prairie Wolves RBI on the weekend.   NWU had only four hits in the second game.  Jordan Haas took the loss giving up four earned runs and four hits in two innings.