St. Ambrose got its 2023 season underway with a weekend, four-game series at Ottawa (Kan.). The Bees were only able to win the final game, a 7-6 decision, but were competitive all weekend. Ottawa claimed the first three games 6-5 in nine innings, 4-2 and 8-2.

Jake Mucha drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning of the Bee victory Sunday. Cade Meek followed with an RBI groundout to plate Bryce Vincent for a 6-4 lead.

Brock Webber had a one-out double in the seventh inning and pinch runner Jalen Avery came around to score on Cooper Huckabone's single to center. That insurance run proved important as Ottawa tacked on two runs in the bottom of the frame before Joey Turek escaped the jam to earn the save.

Griffin Lapp picked up the win, allowing four runs over six innings. He struck out three.

Noah McCreary and Webber each homered in the victory. McCreary hit a two-run shot to tie the game at 2-2 in the third and Webber followed an inning later with a solo blast to give SAU a 3-2 lead. Meek added an RBI single later in the frame before Ottawa tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth.

St. Ambrose rallied to see a late lead disappear in the series opener Saturday. SAU battled back from 2-0 and 4-1 deficits to force extra innings before falling 6-5.

In the sixth, down three runs with two outs, Avery drew a bases-loaded walk to score pinch runner Tyreece Morgan. McCreary followed with a two-run single to right to knot the score at 4-4.

The game remained tied into the ninth. There, with two outs, Vincent ripped a home run to left to give St. Ambrose what proved to be a short-lived lead. Because with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Braves earned the walk-off win with a two-run homer.

Vincent and McCreary each had two hits and Mucha added a run-scoring triple.

Brad Niedzwiedz started and allowed four runs over five innings. Hunter Keim worked two scoreless frames with three strikeouts. Hayden Kingsbury also struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Nick Hernandez was charged with the loss.

The Bees out-hit the Braves 8-5 but four errors led to three unearned runs in a 4-2 loss in the second game Saturday. Vincent and Nate Villagomez each had two of those eight hits.

Down 4-0, St. Ambrose got on the board in the seventh. The first three Bees reached in the inning with Mike Pawyza Villagomez each singling before Webber brought in a run with a double to left. McCreary lifted a sacrifice fly to center to cut the deficit to 4-2. Adrian Zietara singled to put the tying run on base, but an inning after SAU left the bases loaded, the Bees stranded two more and fell 4-2.

Nick Vollmert was the hard-luck loser. He surrendered just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings. Grant Baker recorded the final two outs for St. Ambrose.

Vincent's sac fly in the top of the first inning got SAU off to a fast start in Sunday's opener. But Ottawa scored five runs over the first two innings in rolling to an 8-2 win.

Mucha had an RBI double in the fifth before the Braves tacked on three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

McCreary finished with two hits. Conor O'Hara took the loss. Jacob Sciame threw one scoreless inning in relief before Frank Quinn tossed the final three frames.

SAU will head to Lawrenceville, Ga., Friday and Saturday to play two games each against Taylor and Georgia Gwinnett.