The Drew University baseball team earned its first victory of the season with a 19-5 win over Saint Elizabeth University on the opening day of the Madison Avenue Challenge on Friday at FDU-Florham.                                                                                          
 
The Rangers (1-1) broke the game open with a 12-run fifth inning, and the contest was called due to darkness when the inning ended.
 
Drew finished with five hits but took full advantage of 18 walks.
 
Sophomore Zach Maxwell finished with a double, three runs, and three RBIs while classmate Frank Master finished with a triple, two runs, and two RBIs. Senior Zachary Chhabria drew four walks and scored three runs.
 
Freshman Nicholas Lo Vacco tossed the first 4 1/3 innings for the Rangers to capture his first career victory. He yielded three runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out six.
 
The Eagles (0-1) took an early lead with a run in the top of the first, but Drew plated six runs in the bottom of the third. The inning included a two-run triple from Master, a two-run double from Maxwell, and an RBI-bunt single from sophomore Anthony Vallaro.
 
Drew tacked on another run in the fourth to go up 7-1, before Saint Elizabeth scored four in the top of the fifth to make it a two-run game. Freshman Mikey Sica pitched in the inning and recorded one out. Junior Graham Ross was summoned to the mound with two outs and the bases loaded, and he struck out the only batter he faced.
 
The Rangers did the bulk of their damage via the free pass in their big fifth inning, when they drew eight of their walks.
 
Drew wraps up play at the Madison Avenue Challenge on Saturday, when it returns to FDU on Saturday to face the Devils at 1:30 p.m.