Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team used another late inning rally to take game one but could not rally in a game two loss in a doubleheader split with East Texas Baptist Friday in Belton. The Cru took game one 4-3 before falling 8-4 in game two. UMHB is now 22-11 overall and 17-10 in American Southwest Conference play following the split. ETBU moves to 14-20 overall and 11-16 in the ASC on the season.
The Cru battled back from a pair of deficits to win game one 4-3. ETBU took a 2-0 lead on a Conner Combs RBI single and run-scoring passed ball in the top of the second. UMHB tied it on RBI singles from Zack Whiddon and Heath Spencer in the bottom of the third. Matt Sullivan's RBI single gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Cru tied the game when Spencer drew a bases loaded walk and took the lead on Tripp Reeves' RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but UMHB also left the bases loaded that inning. Aaron Barteau set ETBU down in order in the sixth and seventh to preserve the win and notch his fifth save of the year. Seth Barrow (1-0) earned the win with five innings of six-hit pitching. Zack Tampke took the loss for ETBU to drop to 4-5 on the year. Whiddon and Chase Burrow had two hits apiece for UMHB in the win.
ETBU won game two 8-4 despite another UMHB comeback bid. The Cru took a 1-0 lead when Rob Loewe tripled home K.J. Stark in the bottom of the first inning. The Tigers tied the game on Combs' sacrifice fly in the top of the second. The Tigers would grab a 3-1 lead on RBI singles from Jordan Brewer and Zach Compton in the top of the fourth inning. ETBU would push it to 6-1 with three runs in the top of the seventh. Combs and Garrett Lakey both singled home runs and the other scored on a throwing error. UMHB closed the gap to 6-2 on Dakota Parsons' RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cru left the bases loaded when Burrow flied out to the warning track in left field to end the threat. The Tigers tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth to make it an 8-2 game. Stark doubled home a run in the bottom of the ninth and Loewe added an RBI fielder's choice to cut it to the final margin. Jordan Mattke took the loss for the Cru to drop to 2-3 on the year. Matt Lefler earned the win for ETBU to move to 3-4. Stark had three hits for UMHB and Parsons, Loewe and Stafford added two hits apiece for the Cru. Compton and Tyler Bates had two hits each for the Tigers.
UMHB will continue its home stand with the final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday, April 22nd. The Cru will host Trinity University for a 7:00 PM start. UMHB will then travel to Longview next weekend for a crucial, three-game ASC series at LeTourneau University.