After winning their first eight games to kick off the 2022 season, the St. Ambrose baseball squad suffered their first couple of losses at Mount Mercy this weekend.

The Fighting Bees took on a four-game set against the Mustangs (7-5) and were unable to grab a win in the first three games.

In Friday's opnening game, starting pitcher Nick Vollmert tossed 10 strikeouts over six innings but couldn't pick up the win. The Bees were unable to scratch any runs across and fell to the Mustangs 4-0 to suffer their first loss of the season.

The Bees got out to a quick start in the second game Friday, with Bryce Vincent and Cooper Huckabone hitting back-to-back jacks in the first inning take an early two-run lead.

It would all fall apart late though. Mount Mercy was able to tie the game up late and then a costly error in the outfield from the Bees allowed the Mustangs to bring home the game-winning run.

In Saturday's morning game, the Bees were once again able to strike first. Mike Snow reached base on a fielder's choice in the top of the second. After advancing to second on a wild pitch and then moving over to third thanks to Nate Villagomez, Snow was able to swipe home off an errant pitch to snag the early lead.

However, the Mustangs would go on to score five straight runs to bury the Bees. St. Ambrose wouldn't find another run until the bottom of the seventh when Brenden Butler doubled down the left-field line to punch in Huckabone. But it was too little, too late for the Bees, dropping the contest 5-2.

The Bees' lone win came in the finale. The script seemed to flipped in the final game, with Mount Mercy scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first. After the tough first inning, starting pitcher Conor OHara was able to settle into a groove. OHara didn't allow a single run for the next five innings, striking out six along the way.

The Fighting Bees were able to tie the contest at 2 in the fourth. Kyel Alexander got the Bees on the board with an RBI double and Ryan Kalinowski would tie it up with an RBI groundout. 

Vincent played the hero for the Bees, punching in the game-winning run off a hard single to third. Adrian Zietara was able to leg it out to home plate and score the decisive run. Parker Ruth would come into close it out, holding off the Mustangs at 3-2 to collect his first save of the season.

The Bees will now travel to Fulton, Mo. this coming weekend to take on William Woods in another four-game set.