St. Ambrose dropped the first of a three-game series with Olivet Nazarene by a score of 6-2 Friday afternoon in Bourbonnais, Ill.

Jack Cunningham supplied most of the SAU offense, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. As a team, the Bees collected eight hits.

Cunningham's RBI single in the second inning scored Liam Dennehy to tie the game at 1-1, but the Bees would not score again until the eighth. By that point, thanks in large part to a three-run sixth inning, the Tigers (14-6, 3-0 CCAC) had built a 5-1 advantage.

SAU, which stranded at least one runner on base in each of the final eight innings, pushed across its other run in the eighth thanks to Cunningham. The junior first baseman ripped a two-out double to center, stole third, and came around to score on a wild pitch.

That was as close as the Bees would get. Olivet Nazarene added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to drop St. Ambrose to 3-10 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Colton Carr was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. Jack Staten surrendered a single run in his 2 1/3 innings of relief.

The two teams will complete their series Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.