Brownwood, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team jumped out to an early lead and then broke it open with a seven-run seventh inning as the Cru topped Howard Payne 13-3 in the American Southwest Conference opener for both teams Friday afternoon in Brownwood. The Cru is now 2-0 overall and 1-0 in ASC play on the season. Howard Payne drops to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the ASC with the loss.
UMHB fell behind 1-0 on an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but answered with two runs in the top of the second on Tripp Reeves' RBI double and an RBI fielder's choice from Dakota Parsons. The Cru stretched it to 4-1 on RBI singles from Tyler Taute and Reeves in the top of the third, but Taute was thrown out at the plate attempting to add another runs. Single runs in the bottom of the third and fourth pulled the Yellow Jackets to within 4-3, but Zach Whiddon's RBI fielder's choice in the top of the sixth gave UMHB a 5-3 edge. The Cru then erupted for seven runs in the top of the seventh. Taute scored the first run on a passed ball and then Will Stafford, K.J. Stark and Chase Burrow all followed with RBI singles with Burrow's hit plating two runs. Robert Loewe added a sacrifice fly and Heath Spencer singled home the final run of the frame. UMHB added one more run on Josh Cruz's RBI double in the top of the ninth inning.
Burrow had four hits and Reeves and Taute added three more apiece as the Cru pounded out 19 hits in the victory. Ten different players drove in runs for UMHB. Ian Ekery earned the win to move to 2-0 for the Cru as three pitchers combined to hold the Yellow Jackets to just three hits in the game.
The win also gives UMHB head coach Ben Shipp his 300th career head coaching victory. He becomes just the second head coach in Cru athletic history to reach that milestone at the school, joining men's basketball coach Ken DeWeese.
The two teams will close out the series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow in Brownwood. UMHB will then return home to host U.T.-Tyler for a three-game ASC series next weekend. The two teams will open the series with a 4:00 PM single game on Friday before closing out the weekend with a 1:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday at Red Murff Field.