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CHICAGO, Ill. -- The University of Chicago baseball team came up short in the opening game of the series with Case Western Reserve with an 8-6 loss.

The Spartans wasted no time jumping on the board in the first inning with a leadoff walk and a two-run home run to take a 2-0 lead. However, the UChicago offense came right back with three runs of their own. After a Braden Jirovec double, Erik Rindner cut the lead in half with an RBI double of his own. After a hit by pitch by Michael Gladden and a single by Max Wiesner, Nathan Bae leveled the scoreline with a bases loaded walk. Jack Sharp then ripped a groundball to second base, and he beat out the double play to bring home Gladden and give the Maroons the 3-2 lead.

The Spartans retook the lead in the fourth inning on a pair of sacrifice flies, but again, UChicago came right back with three runs of their own to take the 6-4 advantage. It was rinse and repeat in the fourth inning as Braden Jirovec doubled and Erik Rindner doubled him home to level the game at four. Then, Michael Gladden scored a run on an RBI groundout and Max Wiesner added a sacrifice fly for the 6-4 lead.

Case Western evened the score in the sixth inning, and then both offense would go silent against the dominant relief pitching. The two teams combined to retire 17 consecutive batters into the ninth inning to keep the score level at six. The Maroons had a chance to walk it off in the ninth inning after putting two runners on with two outs, but they would leave the runners stranded and send the game to extras. After a scoreless tenth, the Spartans got a two-out, infield single on a slow ground ball between short and third, and Nick Harms would hit his second home run of the game to clinch the 8-6 win for Case Western Reserve.

Braden Jirovec paced the UChicago offense, going 4-5 at the dish with two runs scored for the Maroons. Erik Rindner also added 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs in the loss.

Drew Bryan finished the game with five innings pitched and six runs allowed while striking out four. Kirk Waller, Charlie Hahn, and Landon Brice were lights out in relief, throwing three combined near-perfect innings with 2 strike outs and only one batter reaching base on a walk. John Butka added to the relief effort with two shutout innings to start, but he earned the loss after allowing the game-winning home run in the eleventh inning.

With the extra-inning defeat, the Maroons fall to 20-7 on the season and 7-2 in UAA play. The two teams return to action at J. Kyle Anderson Field on Saturday for a doubleheader at 12 PM CT and 3 PM CT.