Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team won the second game on a walk-off wild pitch as the Cru salvaged a doubleheader split with Hardin-Simmons Saturday in Belton. UMHB won the nightcap 7-6 after falling 8-5 in the opener. The Cru is now 11-20 overall and 6-12 in American Southwest Conference play following the split. The Cowboys moved to 18-12 overall and 12-6 in the ASC on the year.
HSU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two after bunching four hits. Cody Stone and Max Conway singled home runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game and Dakota Parsons gave the Cru a 4-2 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. The Cowboys tied it again with an RBI groundout and RBI infield single in the top of the sixth. Riley Davis scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the frame to make it 5-4 UMHB, but the Cowboys tied it again in the top of the seventh. Parsons would score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh to put the Cru up 6-5. The Cowboys loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth. After a pop out in the infield, a bases loaded walk tied the game at six, but Cory Farr got back-to-back strikeouts to leave the bases full and end the threat. UMHB left runners at second and third in the bottom of the eighth and the Cowboys did not threaten in the top of the ninth. Scott Stephens drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth. After a strikeout, Conway doubled down the line and it appeared Stephens would score the game-winner, but the ball rolled under a gate in foul territory, leaving runners at second and third with two outs. Cowboy closer Taylor Cooling threw the next pitch to the wall and Stephens scampered home with the winning run. Parsons and Stone had three hits apiece for UMHB and Stephens and Conway added two hits each. Cory Farr notched the win to raise his record to 1-3 on the year. Colton Parker had three of HSU's 13 hits and Blake Northrop took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season.
UMHB could not overcome a 7-0 deficit in an 8-5 loss in game one. The Cowboys scored unearned runs in the third and fourth innings before erupting for five runs in the top of the fifth. Colson Craddick's three-run home was the biggest hit of the frame. Stephens blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to put the Cru on the board. UMHB added four more in the bottom of the sixth on Stone's RBI double and a three-run homer from Stephens. UMHB put a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh but could not close the gap. Stephens had two hits and four RBI for the Cru and Chase Burrow also had two hits. Connor Heussner took the loss to drop to 2-4 despite giving up just three earned runs. Anthony Beasley had three hits for HSU and Craddick drove in three runs. Colton Spears earned the win to move to 5-3 and Cooling notched his 11th save of the year for the Cowboys.
The Cru will return to action with a 7:00 PM non-conference game at Trinity University Tuesday night in San Antonio. UMHB will then host Texas Lutheran University for a 7:00 PM non-conference game on April 19th.