Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team saw late game heroics go both ways as the Cru split two games on Saturday. UMHB opened the day with a 5-4 win over Baldwin Wallace before falling to Spalding University 4-3 in ten innings to close out the day. The Cru is now 7-10 on the season.
The Cru's three-run eighth inning rally led to a 5-4 victory over Baldwin-Wallace to open the day. The Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Cody Stone drew a bases loaded walk to cut that lead in half in the bottom of the frame. BWU added a run in the fourth to make it 3-1 but Stone singled home a run in the bottom of the sixth to pull UMHB to within 3-2. Baldwin-Wallace added another run in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 lead to set the stage for the Cru's rally. Chase Burrow's RBI groundout cut the gap to 4-3 and Stone followed with a two-run homer to left field to give UMHB its first lead of the game. Cory Farr set the Yellow Jackets down in order in the top of the ninth inning to notch his sixth save of the season. Nathan Kent earned the win for UMHB to raise his record to 2-1 on the year. Stone had two hits and four RBI to lead the Cru's offensive effort.
UMHB saw a three-run lead slip away in a 4-3 ten inning loss to Spalding University to close out the day. The Cru took a 1-0 lead on Burrow's solo homer in the bottom of the second. Matt Mazoch's RBI double made it 2-0 UMHB in the bottom of the sixth inning. A run-scoring error gave the Cru a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Kam Bruner blasted a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to tie it up. UMHB loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but could not push across a run. The Cru also put the game-winning run on third with two outs in the ninth, but were held scoreless. Bruner led off the top of the tenth with a double, moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on a balk to give the Golden Eagles their only lead of the game. UMHB would get two runners on in the bottom of the tenth, but a fly out and strikeout ended the threat. Farr took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year. Stone went 4-4 for the Cru and Burrow and Mazoch added two hits apiece. Chance Brinley picked up the win for Spalding and Korie Vire earned his second save. Bruner had three hits and three RBI.
UMHB will close out the weekend with a 2:00 PM single game against Denison University on Sunday. The Cru returns to American Southwest Conference play with a three-game home series against University of the Ozarks next Friday and Saturday.