The Raiders are starting off the season on an exciting note. Three Rivers College has played an extra-inning game in each of its first two doubleheaders. On Thursday, it got solid production from the top of its lineup in an impromptu home opener on Thursday to sweep Williams Baptist 7-3 and 4-3 in eight innings in the nightcap. "It has been good games," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said. "I guess experience is the best teacher. It is getting some guys, particularly some freshman, in some tight situations. I think it will pay off for us in the long run." Of the Raiders' 11 runs, the top spots in the lineup scored eight of them. Tyler McLevain got the win out of the bullpen in the nightcap after Three Rivers went through three other pitchers. McLevain, who started and pitched three innings in the Raiders' second game of the season on Saturday, pitched 1 2/3 innings with a strikeout, a walk and one hit against as the Raiders went into extras for the second time in four games.

Three Rivers, originally slated to play at Williams Baptist before the game was relocated, was ahead 3-1 going into the seventh thanks to runs from Ryan Hunter, William Stallings and Tyler Mathys. Gage Atchley took the mound to start the seventh and go a quick fly out before giving up two walks. McLevain gave up an immediate single, but held Williams Baptist after that. "He threw really well," Burkey said. "Tyler showed a lot of poise. His stuff was much better than it was when he pitched on Saturday." In the bottom of the eighth, Stallings drew a leadoff walk, then Riley Hickerson and Mathys singled to load the bases for Dylan Kater. Kater singled up the middle for the walk-off win. Parker Dent started and pitched five innings in the opener for the pitching staff's and the team's first win of the season in the opener. He walked four and gave up one hit with one strikeout. "He didn't have his best stuff, but he competed really well. I think that is just the type of kid he is," Burkey said. After giving up three runs in the second, helped along by three defensive errors by Three Rivers (2-2), Dent retired eight in a row and nine of 10 before heading to the bench. "They were all slow hit balls," said Burkey, who highlighted Dent's composure in the inning. "They were balls that our infielders had to come get and the balls laid down on them and didn't hop up. They were tough balls, but they are plays that we need to make." Lane Crowley and Ty Gordon each pitched an inning in relief and faced the minimum. Crowley struck out two in the sixth. Gordon hit the first batter he faced, got a 6-4-3 double play, and a strikeout to end the game. Kater and Garyn Stewart, batting first and third, each scored twice for the Raiders. Kater drew a pair of walks before scoring, while Stewart was 1 for 2 with a walk. Hunter, Stallings and Blaze Speas added runs.