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Mike Roberson walked off with a double in the bottom of the 11^th as the DuPage County Hounds opened their 2014 campaign with an 8-7 win over the Chicago Zephyrs.

Richie Gorski drew a leadoff walk from Zephyr reliever Brent Minta and promptly stole his fourth base on the night. After advancing to third base on Drew Sterioti’s groundout, Gorski trotted home as Roberson popped a 2-0 pitch to the wall in left field, sending a near-sellout Dog Pound crowd home happy.

Roberson atoned for a baserunning blunder that cost the Hounds (1-0) the chance to end the game in the bottom of the 9^th. On second with one out, Roberson misread a Connor Kopach fly ball to center field. Chicago’s Sam Klein caught the ball and fired to shortstop Drew Bailey to double off Roberson and send the game to extra innings.

The Hounds fell behind 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Smith scored an unearned run. DuPage took the lead in the bottom of the third. Emerson Misch’s RBI single off Ben Krusen brought home Stewart Nelson, and two more runs came in after three Zephyr errors and a Sterioti single.

DuPage picked up an insurance run in the fifth when Gorski was hit by a pitch and stole his way around the bases. The Hounds swiped 12 bags on the night and were only caught once.

Hounds veteran Patrick Bellinger made the most of Coach Sean Osborne’s faith in him as Opening Day starter. The Schaumburg native struck out 11 batters in six innings of work, allowing an unearned run on four hits and two walks.

The Zephyrs (0-1) stormed back in the seventh and eighth frames, turning a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 lead. Andy Jaskolski knocked Chase Thurston out of the game with an eighth-inning RBI single, and Smith’s sac fly off Trent Carrier put Chicago out in front.

Misch drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth and advanced to second on a dropped pickoff attempt. After Frankie Perrone popped out to shortstop, Brian Lees laced an RBI single to make it 7-6. Lees advanced to second on the throw home and was replaced with pinch-runner Clayton Johannes. Johannes came home on two straight Minta wild pitches, soaring into the air in celebration after sliding in for the tying run.

The Hounds’ third season in the Midwest Collegiate League continues Saturday afternoon as they play host to the Northwest Indiana Oilmen. The first pitch is at 6:00 on the campus of Benedictine University.