MILLINGTON, Tenn. – North Alabama scored five runs in the first three innings and Tyler Joyner and Dylan Stewart combined to strikeout 15 Central Missouri batters as the Lions downed the No. 3 ranked Mules 8-4 in the 2017 baseball season-opener for both teams at USA Stadium.
 
Joyner pitched five complete innings to get the win for UNA, allowing two runs on five hits with nine strikeouts. Stewart then pitched three innings, allowing two runs on just two hits with six strikeouts. Stewart struckout the side in the sixth and eighth innings. Channing Wall pitched a scoreless ninth to earn a save and recorded the team's 16^th strikeout of the day for the final out.
 
Central Missouri put a run on the board just two batters into the game as Erik Webb got a leadoff single, stole second and scored on single by Blake Wilfong. North Alabama answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame as T.J. Lockett drew a leadoff walk, moved up to second on a ground-out and advanced to third and home on passed balls. Kyle Hubbuch then bashed a solo home run to leftfield to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Lions added a solo run in the second as Logan Carter singled, stole second and scored on a Conner Kiser single.
 
UNA made it a 5-1 game with two more runs in the third. Hubbuch reached on a fielder's choice and Ben Cooley doubled. Davis Elliott drove in one run with a single and Cooley later scored on a double-steal attempt as Elliott was thrown out at second.
 
Joiner allowed a run in the top of the fourth on a pair of doubles by Travis Stroup and Miles Orscheln. The Mules then loaded the bases in the fifth before Joyner struckout Stroup to end the threat.
 
Central Missouri pulled within a run in the sixth with two runs off reliever Dylan Stewart. Stewart hit a batter with one out and walked another with two away. The runners moved up on a stolen base and an error and both scored on an infield single by Travis Able. Stewart struckout Erik Webb to end the inning.
 
UNA got a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Logan Carter singled and moved to second on a passed ball. He scored when Lockett reached on an error to make it 6-4.
 
North Alabama's final two runs came in the eighth when Carter and Kiser both walked, moved up on a sacrifice by Drake Tucker and scored on a two-run single by Lockett to make it 8-4.  
 
Carter led UNA with three hits and Hubbuch had two.
 
The two teams play again on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.