COTE ST. LUC, QUE. -- Dominic DeFelice of Richmond, Mass., smacked a two-run homer and starter Rocky Hroch of Temecula, Calif., struck out eight as McGill opened defence of their national baseball championship by doubling the Université de Montréal 6-3 at Gary Carter Field on Wednesday.

McGill extended their staggering win streak to 29 straight league and playoff games, dating back to a 3-1 loss to Saint Mary's at the 2016 CCBA national championship (Oct. 28/16). In regular season play, the Redmen have won 28 consecutive contests since a 7-4 loss at Ottawa on Sept. 10, 2016.

McGill, winners of four consecutive Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association titles, rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with three runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth.

In the fateful fourth, senior catcher Camden Lawhead, a native of Lakewood, Col., who was eighth in the batting order, singled on a 3-1 count, scoring one run. On the next pitch, DeFelice, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound economics junior, blasted a line drive into the right-field bleachers to cash in two more. He went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Hroch, a management senior who returned for a fifth season in the hopes of earning a ring for all fingers on his non-pitching hand, collected the win. The six-foot, 170-pound right-hander scattered five hits over five innings, allowing three runs (one earned), and had one wild pitch while walking six and striking out eight. Freshman Zach Finkelstein of Nashua, N.H., and Shane Curran, a senior from Vancouver, B.C., entered the game out of the bullpen and each allowed one hit in one inning apiece to close out the game in relief. Finkelstein recorded the final three outs to earn his first career save at the university level.

Starter Tommy Grenier took the loss for Montréal. He allowed seven hits and six runs (four earned) over four innings, striking out one, walking one and throwing a pair of wild pitches.

McGill had an 8-7 edge in hits over the visitors. DeFelice and rookie Chester Dixon of Edina, Minn., and each collected two hits to lead the Redmen. Dixon was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

William Frappier-LaPointe and Thomas Patrice each had multiple hits for UdeM, with LaPointe going 3-for-4 at the plate in a losing cause.

McGill (1-0) and Montréal (0-1) will meet again on Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. start time at UdeM's home turf at Parc Ahuntsic.