Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team rallied in the ninth inning, but the comeback bid fell just inches short on the game's final play as the Cru lost to Hardin-Simmons 3-2 Friday night in Belton. UMHB falls to 13-14 overall and 10-9 in American Southwest Conference play with its sixth straight loss. The Cowboys improve to 8-17 overall and 4-11 in the ASC with the victory.
Chase Burrow gave the Cru a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. UMHB loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but could not add a run. The Cowboys broke through in the top of the eighth inning. Cody Perryman's RBI single tied the game and Brandon Walker's fielder's choice gave HSU a 2-1 lead. A run-scoring wild pitch stretched the lead to 3-1 before K.J. Stark was able to get out of a bases loaded jam. Cowboy centerfielder Jamie Ball robbed Rob Loewe of an extra base hit with an acrobatic running catch to lead off the bottom of the eighth. The Cru would get a one-out single from Burrow, but a double play ended the UMHB threat. HSU loaded the bases on three consecutive walks in the top of the ninth, but could not add to their lead. The Cru then loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth and Will Stafford ripped an RBI single up the middle to close the gap to 3-2. After a fly ball out to short left field for the first out, Dakota Parsons flew out to shallow right field, Riley Davis attempted to score the tying run, but Perryman's throw beat him to the plate by inches to complete a game-ending double play.
Aaron Barteau took the loss to fall to 4-2 on the year. Barteau struck out 12, walked one and scattered five hits over seven and two-thirds innings of work. Burrow had two of the Cru's nine hits in the game. Jason England earned the win for HSU to move to 3-4. He scattered nine hits, struck out six and walked four in eights inning. Michael Richardson entered the game after Stafford's single to earn his first save of the year. Berryman had two of HSU's five hits to go with his game-ending double play in the field.
The two teams will close out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday. The start time for that doubleheader has moved up to 10:00 AM due to weather concerns. The games had originally been scheduled for a noon start.