Austin, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor blew Concordia Texas off a wind-swept Tornado Field in game two as the Cru split a doubleheader with the Tornados Friday afternoon in Austin. UMHB took game two 15-4 in a game shortened to seven innings on the run rule after Concordia won a 2-0 pitcher's duel in game one. The Cru is now 13-14 overall and 6-6 in American Southwest Conference West Division play on the season. The Tornados move to 15-17 overall and 7-5 in the ASC West on the season following the split.
The Cru took control of game two early and never looked back. Zack Whiddon doubled home a run and Drake Shukanes added a two-run single to give UMHB a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Garrett Webb had a two-run single, Tyler Taute tripled home two runs and Shukanes singled home another to stretch UMHB's lead to 8-0 in the top of the second. Concordia cut it to 8-2 in the bottom of the fourth, but the Cru added five more in the top of the sixth inning. Whiddon singled home the first run, Robert Loewe was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, another run scored on an error and Seth Mogavero and Will Stafford drew bases loaded walks to give UMHB a 13-2 lead. The Tornados added two more in the bottom of that inning, but Taute and Shukanes both drove in runs with groundouts in the seventh to make it 15-4 and Sam VanHoozer sat Concordia down in order in the bottom of the inning to end it. Chance Ryan scattered five hits and two runs over five innings to raise his record to 4-2. Whiddon had three hits and Shukanes added two hits and five RBI in the victory.
The Cru could not come up with enough offense to offset a two-run sixth-inning homer in a 2-0 game one loss. Ian Ekery took a two-hitter into the bottom of the sixth before Chance Leissner hit a two-out, two-run homer to give Concordia a 2-0 lead. UMHB went down in order in the top of the seventh to fall just short. Ekery finished with a four-hitter, striking out three and walking two to drop to 2-2 on the year. Ryan Ullman tossed a complete-game, one-hitter for the Tornados to raise his record to 3-3. Stafford had the only hit of the game for UMHB in the loss.
UMHB will return to action with a 6:00 PM non-conference game at Southwestern University next Tuesday in Georgetown. The Cru will then return home to host Sul Ross State University for a three-game ASC West Division series next weekend.