JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Ashford University (0-2, 0-0 MCC) baseball team debuted a new season with a pair of non-conference road losses against Culver-Stockton College (4-6 overall) on Tuesday afternoon at Lenz Field.

The Saints fell in both games by scores of 10-4 and 6-3, respectively.

"We showed signs of offensive life in both games and tried to knock a little of the winter rust off," AU Head Coach John Govek said. "We went up against a Culver-Stockton club that has already played 10 games including today and its experience was proven."

The Saints' bats showed little signs of rust in their first trip to the plate in game one, generating three runs on five hits in the top of the first inning against CSC starter Eliel Malpica (1-0).

Ashford's talented trio of catchers came through the clutch offensively before the Wildcats rallied with a five-run third frame.

Junior outfielder Austin Poindexter of Bettendorf had the distinction of recording the first hit of the year and after stealing second base, was plated on a double by Dominican University transfer Jason Fletcher of Huntley, Ill.

Another junior transfer, Roman Davis of Gardnerville, Nev., singled home Fletcher and sophomore backstop Cameron Puetz of Tonica, Ill., drove in another run.

Poindexter was one of four Saints to have a pair of hits in the first game, including leadoff hitter Jordan Wakeley of Freeport, Ill., designated hitter Fletcher, and junior Anthony Misitano of Sycamore, Ill.

The Saints fanned just twice in the first game and showed improved plate discipline, an area that had been targeted during the winter offseason.

"We jumped on them right away in the first game," Misitano said. "They tried challenging us fastballs, but we hit them hard. So they went backwards at us by throwing off speed and we hit a few rollers and grounders."

"We've focused on cutting down strikeout ratio and put as many balls in play as possible," he added. "Last year we would get aggressive, fall behind in the count and get into protection mode."

AU starter Nick Davis (0-1) of Walnut, Ill., hurled a pair of scoreless innings in his first action in more than a year after transferring from Sauk Valley Community College before being chased for five runs in the third.

Davis suffered a season-ending injury in 2009 before receiving a medical hardship to keep his junior status intact. He retired the side in order in the fourth before junior reliever Hunter Allspaugh of Chadwick, Ill., took over.

In game two, Ashford again jumped on streaky Wildcat pitching to strike first as Wakeley was hit by a pitch, advanced to second and third on wild pitches and stole home.

AU then took a two-run edge after a leadoff triple in the second inning by sophomore Michael Caravia of Norridge, lll. He scored on a single in the next at-bat by junior Adam Wojciechowski of La Salle, Ill.

The Wildcats scored in three consecutive innings, plating the go-ahead run in the fourth and added three more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth frame. Misitano recorded an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but AU stranded a pair of runners after a game-ending lineout.

Senior starter Matt King of Shafter, Calif., went 2 2/3 innings in his first action of the year, allowing four hits and a pair of earned runs. Sophomore Tim Elias (0-1) of Grayslake, Ill., suffered the loss in 3 1/3 innings of work.

The Saints are back on the road this weekend, heading to Doane College for a pair of back-to-back doubleheaders. Those four games will precede the Saints' spring trip to Daytona Beach, Fla.