SHEPHERDSTOWN — Any Shepherd pitcher that went more than one inning had his problems against UNC Pembroke last weekend.

Both teams were opening their respective seasons, and both collected enough hits to satisfy most coaches, but only UNC Pembroke found the win column in the three games played.

The Braves had little problem with Shepherd in the first game played on Feb. 1. Pembroke scored six runs (only two earned) in three innings off Shepherd starter Ryan Potts. Scoring throughout, the Braves had a 10-0 lead going to the ninth inning, where the Rams scored four times, with Syeed Mahdi’s home run and Brian McCourt’s two-run double doing most of the damage.

The next afternoon, UNC Pembroke rallied successfully to erase a one-time 7-1 lead the Rams held after only two innings. Even when Pembroke started chasing across runs, Shepherd took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh. But Ethan Baucom slugged a three-run homer off Steve Bowley, carrying the Braves to a 10-9 win.

Shepherd totaled 15 hits and had homers from Brenton Doyle and Dalton Stewart. Stewart’s home run was a grand slam. Justin Smith had three hits, Nick Atkinson two hits, Christian Hamel two hits, Eddie Nottingham two hits, Jared Carr two hits and Stewart two hits.

The Rams struck out 14 times.

Starting pitcher Adam Miller went 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs and five hits, while walking three and throwing two wild pitches. He fanned six. Mike Collins and Eric O’Brien could not retire a batter in short stints, but Tyler Shorter was the losing pitcher.

The third game had many of the same ingredients as a 10-9 Shepherd loss.

Shepherd roared out to a 10-2 lead after 3.5 innings, but the Braves used one big inning and kept chipping away at the deficit.

Shepherd then led, 12-9, going to the bottom of the ninth.

The Braves scored four times to breathe life into their unbeaten season, pulling out a 13-12 win.

The Rams had 16 hits and had a seven-run second inning explosion. Giovanni Torres homered, as did Mahdi. Brenton Doyle landed three hits, as did Smith and Carr. Hamel and Mahdi produced two hits with Hamel driving in three runs and Mahdi getting two RBIs.

Shepherd starter Mitchell Wilson went 5.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs (all earned). Joe Rindone worked one-third of an inning, allowing a hit, three runs (one earned), two walks and had three wild pitches. Tyler Shorter went 2.1 innings, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned) and fanned two. He was the losing pitcher when O’Brien threw one pitch that was hit for a single, with the winning run crossing in the ninth.

The Rams had a team batting average of .342 in their three-game weekend. However, Pembroke had a .354 team batting average. Shepherd’s team’s run average was 8.51.

Five Rams batted over .300 — Smith at .538, Carr at .500, Hamel at .385, Doyle at .364 and Syeed at .308.