CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The IU Southeast baseball team opened the 2018 River States Conference Baseball Tournament with a resounding 17-4 victory over Brescia University on Thursday.

The Grenadiers (38-7) scored 17 runs on 17 hits and blew the game open with a nine-run third inning. IU Southeast got on the board in the bottom of the first when senior rightfielder Nicholas Lugo hit a three-run home run to right-center, his team-leading ninth of the year.

In the third inning IU Southeast put the game away. Cody Maloon started the scoring with a three-run home run to left for his third home run of the year. Later in the inning, Lugo hit a two-run double to left and Josh Beams hit a two-run triple to left. Korbin Williams also had a RBI single and Reyni Olivero scored on a throwing error.

IU Southeast tacked on four runs in the fourth. Richard Rodriguez brought in a pair with single. Nicholas Lugo brought in Rodriguez with another double and Josh Beams followed with a single.

Jack Wohlert (7-0) stayed undefeated by working five innings to earn the win. He gave up four runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two.

Nicholas Lugo finished the day 3-for-4 with six RBI and three runs scored. Josh Beams and Cody Maloon each drove in three and Maloon had three hits.

IU Southeast will play the 3 p.m. game Friday vs the loser of the No. 3 Rio Grande-No.4 IU Kokomo contest.