Tyler, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team saw an early lead disappear in U.T.-Tyler's five-run sixth inning as the Cru fell to the Patriots 8-3 Friday evening in Tyler. The loss drops UMHB to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. U.T.-Tyler improves to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in the ASC on the year with the victory.
The Cru grabbed a 1-0 lead when K.J. Stark led off the game with a home run over the right-center field fence. Dakota Parsons followed with a double and scored on Rob Loewe's RBI single to make it 2-0 UMHB after the top of the first inning. The Patriots cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of that inning, but the Cru added a run in the top of the third when Zack Whiddon scored on a passed ball. U.T.-Tyler closed to within 3-2 in the bottom of the third and it would stay that way into the bottom of the sixth. The Patriots tied the game with a sacrifice fly and took the lead on an RBI fielder's choice. Sam Labe singled home two more runs and U.T.-Tyler scored the final run of the inning on a double steal to make it 7-3. Lane added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to provide an insurance run and the Cru went down in order in the top of the ninth inning.
UMHB was held to four hits in the game, with the top four hitters in the line-up having one hit apiece. The Cru did not have a hit after the top of the third inning. Kreece Cooper took the loss for UMHB to drop to 0-1 after giving up seven hits and seven earned runs in five and two-thirds innings of work. Seven other Cru pitchers combined to scatter four hits the rest of the way. Jamie Paxton picked up the win for U.T.-Tyler after striking out 11 and scattering four hits over seven and two-thirds innings of work. Only four players had hits for the Patriots, but Buddy McCoy, Garrett Nelson and Doug Kinsey had three hits each in the game.
The two teams will close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader Saturday in Tyler. UMHB will then return home to host DeSales University in a 6:00 PM non-conference game on Monday at Red Murff Field.