CLEVELAND | The Truett McConnell baseball team used 17 hits to plate 12 runs on Opening Day as the Bears ran past Toccoa Falls, 12-4, Tuesday afternoon. The Bears are now 6-2 on Opening Day in the NAIA era.

Toccoa Falls got on the board first by plating an unearned run, but the Bears came right back and tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning. After Austin Bishop and Chris Carden reached base to lead off the inning, Patrick Overstreet drove home Bishop to knot the game at 1-1.

After a run in the top half of the third, the Bears' bats caught fire as they sent eight batters to the plate in the third. Bishop started the rally with a single up the middle which was followed by a Carden single to right center. Overstreet proceeded to single to plate Bishop to tie the game up. After an RBI single by Tate Gaines, Josh Johnston earned his first collegiate RBI on a groundout with the bases loaded. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly gave the Bears five runs in the inning to take a 6-2 lead.

Toccoa Falls added a single run in the fifth to make the game a 6-3 contest, but the Bears answered again in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Carden plated Calob Rowland with a double off the fence in center in the bottom of the sixth, and Josh Johnston earned RBI number two with a triple into the right field corner in the seventh.

Austin Thomas added the final runs of the contest for TMU with a RBI double to left in the seventh and a two-RBI single to right in the eighth.

Gregory Elder Jr., earned the win with one inning pitched and a strikeout. Chris Carden earned a no-decision, going four innings with five strikeouts, two walks and two runs given up, one of which was unearned.

Bishop finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. Austin Thomas had the big day at the plate, earning four RBI and scoring once in a 2-for-4 performance.

The Bears will take the field again against Hiwassee on Friday in Cleveland. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.