The Dominican University baseball team got a pair of outstanding starting pitching performances but came up empty-handed on the first day of play, falling to Illinois College 5-3 in extra innings before dropping an 8-0 decision to Haverford College in the nightcap.

Zach Roszak (South Chicago, Ill.) went nine innings in game one, scattering nine hits and one walk while striking out five. The Stars’ junior left-hander surrendered three runs, two earned, in his first outing of the season.

In the tenth, with the score tied at 3-3, Roszak gave way to freshman Saqib Mirza (Skokie, Ill.). In his first collegiate appearance, Mirza got the leadoff man to ground out before allowing a runner to reach on an error. After a single and a stolen base, what proved to be the winning run came across on passed ball. A single to left added an insurance run for Illinois College.

In the bottom of the tenth, the Stars managed a one-out single from catcher Chris Anderson (Plainfield, Ill.) before back-to-back strikeouts stopped the threat.

In their second game of the day, senior Matt Dehn (McHenry, Ill.) kept the Stars in the ballgame, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings.

However, Dehn took the loss on the mound, as the Stars managed just three hits in the contest, two from designated hitter Chris Kemp (Oak Lawn, Ill.).

Dominican returns to action in Fort Myers on Monday with a doubleheader against Newbury College.