BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. – The Philadelphia University baseball team opened with 2012 season with a pair of losses to host Dowling College on Saturday at Golden Lions Field. The Rams fell in game one, 8-2, and 10-4 in the nightcap.

The Rams (0-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one without the benefit of a hit. First baseman Jordan Force was hit by a pitch with one out. He took second base on a throwing error by pitcher Marc Rutledge and went to third on a ground out by center fielder Rick Reigner. Force scored on a wild pitch.

Dowling (2-0) came back with a four-run second inning, which included RBI singles from Kyle DeMeo and Kevin Kerman. Philadelphia right fielder Joe Thayres came through with a bases-loaded single in the fourth inning to pull the Rams within 4-2.

The Golden Lions plated a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Thayres, Reigner, left fielder Ken McCormick and designated hitter Evan High all had one hit for the Rams. Rob Veltre and Sean Craig both recorded two hits for Dowling.

Joe Capparelli suffered the loss for the Rams. He gave up six runs (three earned) on five hits and struck out three. Capparelli walked nine. Rutledge was the winning pitcher in a complete game effort, striking out 11 in seven innings.

In game two, the Rams had a big inning in the sixth by scoring four times. Designated hitter Ryan Shellock had a bases-loaded single to center that drove in McCormick and Force. Second baseman John Sczepanski came up next and brought home shortstop Hunter Greenwood and Shellock with a double to left center.

Dowling jumped out to a 10-0 lead with five runs in the first, three in the second and two in the fourth.

McCormick, Shellock and Sczepanski each had a two-high game for the Rams. Catcher TJ Burgmann had the Rams seventh hit. DeMeo led the Dowling offense with three of its seven hits.

Tyler Badamo threw fifth shutout innings to earn the win. He struck out four hitters. Sawyer Brown suffered the loss after allowing 10 runs (four earned) on five hits in 3.1 innings. Brown fanned one batter. Rob Spragis and Zach Harper combined to hurl 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Philadelphia. Spragis struck out one in his 1.2 inning of work, while Harper fanned two hitters in his inning.

Philadelphia takes on Dowling one more time on Sunday, Feb. 26 at noon on Golden Lions Field.