AUSTIN, Texas – Casen Novak went 3-for-6 at the plate, saving his best for last with a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning as the No. 23 Concordia Texas baseball team opened the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Methodist on Friday in the first day of the Jackie Greer/Rusty Moore Collegiate Classic at Air Hog Stadium.

In a classic pitcher's duel through the game's first 10 innings, the Tornados loaded the bases in the 11th frame after a Jayden Hernandez leadoff single followed by a sac bunt and pair of walks.

The Monarchs induced a force out at home on a Dalton Watts ground ball to record the second out of the inning, but the bases remained loaded, bringing Novak to the plate.

The senior out of Flatonia, Texas came in clutch, knocking a single into right-center field to score Jacob Gwynne from third for the game-winning run as CTX outlasted Methodist 2-1 for their first win of the season.

Daniel Lewis, meanwhile, picked up the win, tossing four scoreless innings and striking out five after entering in relief of Matthew Williams in the eighth inning.

Williams, who sits only two wins away from becoming the winningest pitcher in program history, got the start for the Tornados, pitching seven innings of one-run ball, allowing only three hits and punching out eight Monarchs in a no-decision debut.

Methodist opened the scoring in the second inning with a two-out rally as a walk followed by back-to-back singles made it 1-0.

Concordia Texas was unable to pull even with the Monarchs until the eighth inning when Bret Leiferman, with the bases loaded, worked a two-out RBI walk to score Gwynne, tying it at 1-all.

Leiferman finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks, while Gwynne tallied two of the Tornados' nine hits and scored both of the team's runs.

Concordia Texas will return to Air Hog Stadium on Saturday for day two of the Jackie Greer/Rusty Moore Collegiate Classic, facing Hendrix at 6 p.m. in Grand Prairie, Texas.