A wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Jordan Argabright to lead the LeTourneau University baseball team to an 8-7 win over Hardin-Simmons University on Friday night at Conrad-Vernon Field.
LeTourneau (11-1, 6-1 ASC) found itself in its second extra-inning game of the season in the 10th inning. With one out, freshman Kyle Jacobs took second on a fly ball that ricocheted off the glove of the Cowboys' centerfielder. Senior Caleb Pritchett reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners for junior Bryce Griffin.
The YellowJackets' called on Griffin to execute a suicide squeeze and the Corona, California native answered and delivered to score a hustling Jacobs from third for the winning run.
The LeTourneau offense was limited to just six hits – two of which came from Griffin. Four of the LeTourneau runs came without a hit. In relief, Josh Gimre pitched the 10th and allowed just one hit for the win.
Hardin-Simmons (6-4, 4-3 ASC) pounded out 11 hits – six of which came from within the top four of the lineup and the No. 8 batter – JT Thornton had three more to pace the Cowboys attack. In the loss, Hardin-Simmons stranded 13 runners on base but were victims to three errors.
HSU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning until LeTourneau gained its first lead of the night when they scored three times in the third inning. Two of which came on a two-RBI double by Sean Sellers and the other run came on a RBI single by Ryan Bertram. Holding a 3-1 lead, in the fifth, Jacobs hit his first collegiate home run to stretch the lead to 4-1.
The Cowboys regained the lead in the sixth inning when they scored four times – three came in on a three-RBI double by Brandon Walker. He later came in to score on a double by Thornton to put HSU in front by a 5-4 margin.
LeTourneau took back the lead in the seventh inning as they scored twice without a hit. A RBI ground out by Chris Bertram and a wild pitch put the YellowJackets ahead, 6-5.
Hardin-Simmons scored twice in the ninth with two out to take a 7-6 lead; however, the YellowJackets rallied again to send the game into extra innings when they scored again without the services of a hit. After two outs, Dillon Yates reached on a walk. Then, pinch runner Jordan Argabright moved around the bases on a passed ball and wild pitch. With Chris Bertram, at the plate and two out, the Cowboys had their second wild pitch of the inning on strike three to tie the game at 7.
In the Hardin-Simmons, half of the 10th, the Cowboys started the inning with a single. Next, an attempted sacrifice bunt by was caught in the air by an athletic Gimre, who reached high in the air to catch the pop up.
The two teams have decided to move Saturday's doubleheader up an hour – first pitch at Conrad-Vernon Field is scheduled for noon.