AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Elmhurst baseball team moved to 5-3 on the season after splitting a doubleheader with Worcester State University in the Bluejays' opening games of the RussMatt Tournament in Florida.
 
Elmhurst took the opener 5-3 before dropping the second game 4-3.
 
ELMHURST 5, WORCESTER ST. 3 (Game One) – Elmhurst rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Worcester State 5-3 and take the opening game of the doubleheader.
 
The Bluejays grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Austin MacMillan's RBI double. Worcester State scored two in the second and added a run in the fourth to move in front 3-1. Elmhurst cashed in on a pair of errors in the fifth inning to tie the game. With the bases loaded, Worcester State attempted to force the lead runner at the plate, but a wild throw allowed two runs to score and tie the game at 3-3.
 
Reagan McReynolds tripled home the game-winning run and scored an insurance run on an error in the bottom of the sixth.
 
McReynolds led Elmhurst at the plate, finishing with three of the Bluejays' eight hits. He scored three runs and drove in the winning run. Trey Compton added two hits for the Bluejays.
 
Nick Drago made the start and took a no-decision, working five innings and allowing six hits and one earned run. He walked four while striking out five. Alec Berry pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory. Berry allowed just one hit while fanning two.
 
WORCESTER ST. 4, ELMHURST 3 (Game Two) – Elmhurst fell behind 4-0 before mounting a late rally that came up just one run short.
 
The Lancers scored a run in the first, two in the third and another run in the fourth to open up an early 4-0 lead. Tyler Kledzik cut the deficit in half with a two-run, two-out double in the fifth inning.
 
Trailing by two entering the top of the seventh, the Bluejays used an error and a base hit to put the tying runs on base. A sacrifice fly from McReynolds drove in Christian Ott and pull Elmhurst to within a run. Kledzik delivered a two-out single to move the potential tying run into scoring position, but a strikeout ended the contest for the Lancers.
 
Elmhurst was limited to just five hits in the loss with Kledzik collecting two of them.
 
Nathan Tovell went the distance from the mount while taking the loss. Tovell pitched six innings and allowed just six hits and two earned runs. He did not issue a walk and fanned five.
 
Elmhurst takes on Hope College tomorrow (March 19).