JACKSON, Miss. – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team rallied for an 8-5 win over Belhaven in the first game of a doubleheader to give head coach Steven Coleman his 500th career win at Hardin-Simmons.
The Cowboys won the game in the eighth inning of the scheduled seven-inning first game of the doubleheader. HSU lost the nightcap 6-0 in a game shortened to seven innings by American Southwest Conference rule after the first game went extra innings.
Game 1
The Blazers scored in the first on a groundout by Walters and Jared Kivett had an RBI single to tie the game in the second. Belhaven added two runs in the second on an error and sacrifice fly.
Hunter Garrison scored on a wild pitch in third and Garrett Buckner tied the game with an RBI single. Belhaven scored twice in the fourth to make it 5-3.
HSU tied the game in the sixth on an RBI triple by Kivett and an RBI single by Buckner. Buckner gave the Cowboys the lead in the eighth inning on an RBI double and Garrison had an RBI single and Dominguez had an RBI double.
J.P. Poe started for the Cowboys and went three innings and John Clift worked two and two-third scoreless innings. Orel Rhodes worked the final two and one-third innings to earn the win and improve to 2-1 on the year.
Hunter Sanford started for Belhaven and went five innings and Justin Milam took the loss allowing three runs in relief.
Dominguez and Buckner had three hits each for the Cowboys. Walters had two hits for the Blazers.
Game 2
Belhaven scored six runs in the first two innings for the only runs of the game.
Hayden Clark (0-4) started and allowed five runs and Andrew Hernandez allowed an unearned run in the second inning, Chase Buchanan, Raby Hampton. Taylor McMackin and Channing Hickman each worked a scoreless inning in relief.
Brett Sanchez scattered five hits and struck out nine in the complete-game shutout to improve to 3-2.
Jacob Rains had two hits for the Cowboys and Trip Benson had three hits for the Blazers.
The Cowboys are now 3-11 on the year and 3-5 in league play. Belhaven is 7-7 overall and 4-4 in ASC play. The teams will decide the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a single game.