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BECKLEY, W.Va. - The Gannon baseball team led for the first 12 1/2 innings of the season, before settling for a split during a season-opening doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, West Virginia. The Golden Knights opened the campaign with a 3-0 shutout of West Virginia Tech, before falling to Rio Grande (Ohio) 5-4.

In the opener, Aaron Cox (Dorchester, N.J./Millville) needed very little run support while tossing a two-hitter through six innings. The 2013 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Freshman of the Year punched out a career-high 15 hitters, easily surpassing last year's high of 10. He left the bases loaded in the first and stranding runners in scoring position during the second and third innings. Cox then retired his final 10 batters, recording seven of those outs via a strikeout.

Gannon got the only run it would need during its first at-bat. Jared Wiesen (Girard, Ohio/Liberty) led off with a single. The sophomore stole second base and scored on Zack Ranta's (Hamilton, Ontario/Orchard Park Secondary) two-out single.

All three Gannon runs came with two outs. Nick Lombardo's (McKean, Pa./General McLane) two-out, two run single in the eighth gave the Golden Knights breathing room at 3-0.

Matt Wilwohl (Erie, Pa./McDowell) picked up his first career save with three hitless innings of relief, striking out five and walking one. The redshirt sophomore closed the game with two strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Ranta went 2-for-4 with one RBI during his Gannon debut. Six Golden Knights recorded one hit each and three different players scored runs.

Gannon appeared to be in control of the nightcap against Rio Grande, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings. For the second consecutive game, the Golden Knights scored in their first at-bat. This time, Cox reached on a two-out error and scored on Ranta's two-out single.

A Cox single drove home Wiesen in the third, before a passed ball and fielder's choice plated two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. The tide started to turn in the bottom of the frame. Rio Grande struck four times to tie the contest at four. The big blow was a two-out, two-run triple by Luis Jimenez that created the deadlock.

Two-out lightning provided Rio Grande's winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning. A walk and back-to-back singles gave the Red Storm a 5-4 advantage. Gannon stranded a runner at third base in the sixth, but was retired in order during the last three innings to suffer its first defeat of the season.

Cox finished 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI. Ranta and Sean Sutton (Toronto, Ontario/Brebeuf College) added two hits each.

Matt Tobin (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits in seven innings. The junior struck out two and walked one. Aaron Jackson (Sugar Grove, Pa./Eisenhower) tossed a perfect inning of relief with one strikeout during his collegiate debut.

Gannon moved its record to 1-1 with Tuesday's season-opening split. West Virginia Tech dropped to 0-4 while Rio Grande improved to 4-7. The Golden Knights return to action Sunday, March 2 against Ashland at the Russ Matt Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.