Abilene, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team grabbed an early lead and never looked back as the Cru rolled to an 11-1 victory over Hardin-Simmons University Friday night in Abilene. UMHB improves to 19-9 overall and 14-8 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Cowboys to 12-16 overall and 8-14 in the ASC on the year.
Chase Burrow gave the Cru a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the top of the first inning. K.J. Stark led off the top of the third with a home run, Burrow and Tripp Reeves added RBI doubles and Heath Spencer drove in Reeves with a single to make it 6-0 UMHB after the top of the third. Stark's two-run single in the top of the fifth to stretch the Cru lead to 8-0. Burrow's solo homer in the top of the sixth made it 9-0 UMHB before Hardin-Simmons put a run on the board in the bottom of that inning. Ty Johnson drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the ninth and Rob Loewe drove in another run with a bases loaded single to provide the final margin.
Burrow led UMHB with four hits and four RBI and Stark added three hits and three RBI for the Cru, who pounded out 13 hits as a team. Ian Ekery earned the win for UMHB to raise his record to 5-2 on the year. Ekery scattered three hits and allowed just one run while striking out five in six and a third innings of work. Tyler Taute pitched two and two-thirds innings of two-hit relief as UMHB held HSU to just five hits in the game. Jason Vause and Colson Craddick had two hits apiece for Hardin-Simmons. Jeremy Hallmark (1-2) took the loss for the Cowboys after giving up five runs in two and two-thirds innings.
The two teams will close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader Saturday in Abilene. UMHB will then 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.