Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team broke game one open in the late innings and then held on to an early lead in game two on the way to a doubleheader sweep of Schreiner University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The Cru won 9-4 and 8-3 and also clinched a berth in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament with the two victories. UMHB is 18-17 overall and 10-8 in ASC West Division play following the sweep. The Mountaineers are now 10-27 overall and 3-12 in the ASC West on the year.
UMHB took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game one before rallying late for a 9-4 win. Robert Loewe singled home the first run, Tyler Taute added an RBI double and Garrett Webb hit a sacrifice fly. The Mountaineers cut it to 3-1 in the third and tied the game with two more in the top of the fifth. UMHB exploded for four runs in the bottom of that inning. Zack Whiddon and Tyler Taute both scored on a steal, wild pitch and error on a bizarre base-running play. Seth Mogavero then added a two-run homer to make it 7-3. Schreiner added one more in the top of the sixth before the Cru tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame on a run-scoring throwing error and Loewe's RBI double. Nick Bergmann earned the win in relief to move to 2-4. Sam VanHoozer notched his second save of the year with one and a third innings of hitless relief work. Whiddon had three hits for UMHB. Loewe, Webb, Heath Spencer and Will Stafford added two hits apiece in a 14-hit attack for the Cru.
Chase Burrow gave UMHB an early game two lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. The Cru stretched it to 4-0 with a three-run fourth. Mogavero and Will Stafford singled home runs and the third run scored on an error. Schreiner cut it to 4-1 in the top of the sixth inning. Whiddon then cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 7-1 for UMHB. Chris Florack's RBI single made it 8-1 Cru in the bottom of the seventh. Schreiner scored two runs on wild pitches in the top of the ninth, but that's as close as it would get. Chance Ryan earned the win to move to 6-2 after striking out nine and giving up just one run in eight innings. Ryan also broke the UMHB career strikeout record by pushing his total to 222, topping the record of 220 previously held by Jared Hopper. Mogavero led the Cru with three hits and Burrow and Stafford added two hits apiece.
The series closes out ASC West Division play for the Cru. UMHB will return to action with a non-conference game at Texas Wesleyan next Tuesday in Fort Worth. The Cru will then return home to close out the regular season with a three-game, non-conference series against LeTourneau University at Red Murff Field.