BELTON, Texas -- Two games, two very different ways to come out victorious.
The LeTourneau baseball team rallied from a seven-run deficit in game one to force extra innings in a 16-15 victory, then Dalton Pickett tossed a no-hitter in a 5-0 game-two victory as the YellowJackets took a 2-1 series lead on Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday at Red Murff Field.
Pickett threw the second no-hitter in the program's NCAA-era (1999-present) and is the first to complete the task solo. It is the fourth no-hitter on record in the program's all-time history.
The game one win for LeTourneau (10-12, 2-1 ASC) marked the second comeback win of at least seven runs this season.
GAME TWO: LeTourneau 5, Mary Hardin-Baylor 0
Pickett threw a seven-inning no-hitter and the LeTourneau offense picked up right where it left off in game one in a 5-0 victory in Saturday's second game.
Pickett (1-1) was masterful in his no-hitter. The right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced and only allowed two baserunners the entire game. Both runners were later put out on double plays as Pickett faced the minimum (21) in the win.
Pickett struck out seven and allowed just one walk, while getting six ground outs and six flyouts.
It was the first no-hitter for the YellowJackets since a combined no-no on Feb. 17, 2023 vs. Dillard.
The YellowJacket offense held up its end of the bargain to aid Pickett's effort on the mound. Zach Baker delivered a two-run double in the second inning and Dane Jones followed with an RBI single to put LeTourneau ahead 3-0.
Luke Land then launched his third homer of the year, a solo shot in the third inning to extend the margin to 4-0. Land tacked on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for the final tally.
Pickett walked the leadoff batter in the seventh, but then induced a routine double play ball to negate the walk. Pickett finished the no-no as he got Tyler Betts to fly out to right field to end the game.
Xander Nabors, Jack Kale, and Baker all had two hits in the win. LeTourneau had 10 hits.
Preston Blake (1-1) got the loss for the Crusaders on the mound as he allowed three runs on six hits.
GAME ONE: LeTourneau 16, Mary Hardin-Baylor 15
In a wild opening game on Saturday, LeTourneau rallied from a seven-run deficit and then a three-run deficit in the final inning to force extras before coming away with a 16-15, nine-inning win.
Dane Jones went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs, while Jack Kale and Blake Vice also homered. Jones' two home runs gave him 45 for his career, tying the ASC career record.
The YellowJackets dug themselves a hole, trailing 7-0 after two innings in the scheduled seven-inning contest. Jones' first home run, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, got LeTourneau within 7-5.
In the sixth, Kale homered to left field to leadoff the inning and Vice followed with a two-run blast later in the frame to even the score at 7-7. It was Kale's second homer of the year and Vice's second as well.
LeTourneau was not done, yet, in the sixth. A Mary Hardin-Baylor error followed by a another two-run homer from Dane Jones and an RBI double from Kale capped the seven-run inning and gave LeTourneau an 11-7 lead.
The Crusaders answered with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 14-11. But LeTourneau responded with four runs in the seventh as a Luke Land two-run double -- which missed being a three-run homer by mere inches -- gave the YellowJackets a 15-14 lead.
Shane Melick hit a leadoff home run, his second of the game, in the home-half of the inning and the game went into extras.
In the ninth, wildness ensued. With runners on second and third and one out, Nabors lifted a long fly ball to center field that was hauled in by the Crusaders. Austin Wiederhold scored easily from third and Jones tried to score all the way from second, but was thrown out.
Mary Hardin-Baylor appealed that Jones left early, while also appealing that Wiederhold's run should not count. After a lengthy delay, which included LeTourneau officially protesting the game, the umpires emerged and correctly awarded the run to LeTourneau to give the YellowJackets a 16-15 lead.
Mary Hardin-Baylor put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Frank Maestri struck out the final two batters to end the threat and preserve the wild win.
Maestri (2-1) went the final three innings in relief and allowed just one run on two hits with four strikeouts. Jaxson Breedlove had three scoreless innings and Camden Miller also had a shutout appearance out of the bullpen.
Jacob Haynes (0-1) got the loss for Mary Hardin-Baylor. Melick went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs in the defeat.