ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons' baseball team split a doubleheader with top-ranked Trinity on Tuesday afternoon at Hunter Field, winning 3-2 in game one and falling 5-1 in the second game.
The Tigers scored a run in the first inning when Ryan Schweers walked stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Nick Pappas sacrifice fly. The game stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning.
HSU came up with a pair of runs of All-American pitcher Ben Klimesh. With two outs Chris Matthews walked and Troy Nicholson followed with a single to center. Jon Finney then struck out but the pitch got away and Finney reached to load the bases. Blake Sieck followed with a two-run single to right field.
Trinity tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Pappas. HSU then won the game in the bottom of the seventh on a walkoff hit by Troy Tarrant. Finney lead off the inning with a walk, Joey Dearing singled and Marcus Uechi had a bunt single to load the bases. After Jay Hiller struck out, Tarrant rocketed a 2-2 pitch up the middle for the win. The matchup of Tarrant and Klimesh was a pair of 2011 All-Americans.
Jordan Dotson was solid for the Cowboys as he held the Tigers to two runs in five plus innings of work. James Simmons worked the final two innings of hitless relief and earned the win to improve to 3-1. Klimesh fell to 9-1 with the loss but was impressive, as he scattered eight hits (seven singles) and struck out 11 in six and one-third innings.
Marcus Uechi had two hits for the Cowboys and four different Tigers had one of the team's four hits and Pappas drove in both runs.
In the nightcap, Trinity scored an unearned run in the first inning when Dominick Robusto led off the game with a chopper to the mound and starter Eric Zamora's throw was wide to first and went to right field pushing Robuston to second. A groundout moved him up and he scored on a Pappas sacrifice fly.
It stayed 1-0 until the fifth when the Tigers scored on a double play with runners on the corners. Trinity added a single run in the sixth on a RBI single by Kevin Clements and then Pappas had a two-run single in the seventh.
HSU's lone run came on a Tarrant RBI double in the sixth.
Zamora was good on the mound for the Cowboys as he started and worked four innings of two-hit ball, but took the loss with the unearned run in the first. Ryan Lucero (8-0) went the distance for the win scattering four hits and striking out eight and HSU's run was unearned.
Pappas had two hits and drove in three runs for Trinity
Trinity started its top two pitcher's after not playing last weekend. HSU's weekend starters were not available as the Cowboys have a Thursday-Friday with McMurry because of the Easter Weekend.
HSU is now 13-3 on the year and Trinity is 24-4.
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