DEMOREST, Ga. -- The Washington and Lee baseball team opened up the 2005 season with a 7-2 victory over Piedmont College on Monday afternoon in Demorest, Ga.

The Lions (2-3) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by junior first baseman Mike Santowski.

The Generals (1-0) responded with four runs in the top of the second inning. Sophomore second baseman David Miller (Oak Hill, Va./Oakton) sparked the inning with a two-run single to score junior outfielder David Mackenzie (Vienna, Va./James Madison) and sophomore catcher Jordan Wesley (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds).

Piedmont got one run back in the bottom of the inning to cut the Generals lead to 4-2, but W&L scored two in the third and one more in the fifth inning to close out the scoring.

Generals' freshman pitcher Tim Livingston (Los Angeles, Calif./Santa Monica) pitched 6.1 innings and struck out four to pick up his first collegiate win. Sophomore Johnson Brownlow (Knoxville, Tenn./Webb) pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn the save.

Mackenzie, Miller, sophomore outfielder Richard Garland (Fort Worth, Texas/Arlington Heights) and junior first baseman Taylor McConnell (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) each collected two hits in the win.

Junior second baseman Walker Searcy went 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Lions and sophomore hurler Blake Thomas (0-1) allowed six runs over 2.1 innings to take the loss.

W&L returns to the diamond on Tuesday when it plays at Emory University. The game starts at 2:00 pm.

-- GENERALS --