Abilene, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team rallied late in game one but ran out of late magic in game two as the Cru split a doubleheader with Hardin-Simmons University Saturday afternoon in Abilene. UMHB won game one 6-5 before falling 7-4 in game two . The Cru is now 20-10 overall and 15-9 in American Southwest Conference okay following Saturday's results. Hardin-Simmons moves to 13-17 overall and 9-15 in the ASC on the year.
UMHB used a four-run rally in the top of the seventh inning to win game one 6-5. Hardin-Simmons led 1-0 before Heath Spencer doubled home two runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Cowboys responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to grab a 5-2 lead. Zack Patino and Caleb Jacques both had two-run singles in the frame. The Cru then exploded for four runs in the seventh. K.J. Stark tied the game with a three-run homer, his second round-tripper in as many games, and Spencer singled home Rob Loewe with the go-ahead run. Aaron Barteau would get back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh with the game-winning run on first base to earn the win for the Cru and move to 4-0 on the season. He struck out three batters in one and a third innings of work. Seth Barrow scattered three hits and allowed three runs over five and a third innings in his first collegiate start for UMHB. Loewe and Will Stafford had three hits apiece as the Cru out hit the Cowboys 15-5 in the game. Blake Northrop took the loss for HSU to fall to 3-1 on the season and Patino had two of the Cowboys' five hits in the game.
UMHB would not rally late in the 7-4 loss in game two. The Cowboys took a 1-0 lead before the Cru put three on the board in the top of the second. Stafford singled home the first run and Stark followed with a two-run homer to make it 3-1 UMHB. HSU tied it with two in the third inning and Marcus Uechi's two-run double gave the Cowboys a 5-3 lead. Hardin-Simmons added single runs in the fifth and eighth innings to stretch the advantage to 7-3. Loewe's RBI fielder's choice cut the gap to 7-4 in the top of the ninth, but UMHB left runners on the corners to end the threat. J.D. Perkins took the loss for the Cru to drop 1-1 to after giving up two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Sam Hallen (2-0) earned the win for HSU and Taylor Peables nailed down his first save of the year. The Cowboys out hit UMHB 13-4 in the game with Uechi leading the way with three hits. No Cru player had more than one hit in the game.
UMHB will now return home to host four games next week. That home stand opens with a 7:00 PM non-conference game against Trinity University next Tuesday, April 15th. The Cru will then host East Texas Baptist University for a three-game, ASC series opening with a 7:00 PM single game on Thursday at Red Murff Field.