Clinton, MS - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team battled back to tie the game in the top of the ninth, only to see the Mississippi College Choctaws win the game with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 3-2 loss in game one of a First Round series in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. The loss drops UMHB to 22-16 on the season. The Choctaws improve to 27-14 on the year with the victory.
The Choctaws took a 2-0 lead on Bo Bell's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. It would stay that way until Ryan Moreau doubled to lead off the third inning, moved to third on Kyle Flynn's sacrifice bunt and scored on Andrew White's infield single to cut it to 2-1. The game would then turn into a pitcher's duel between UMHB's Jared Hopper and MC's Tyler Seaman and stay 2-1 into the top of the ninth inning. The Cru left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded nine runners through the first eight innings. Moreau led off the top of the ninth with a single. Pinch-runner Alfredo Melendez stole second on a strikeout and scored on Marcus Volz's RBI single to tie the game at two. The Cru would load the bases, but could not push the go-ahead run across. Hopper surrendered a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth and was lifted after Tim Bruss' sacrifice bunt. Dakota Bodree popped out for the second out of the inning, but the Choctaws added a walk and Chase Herrin singled right down the third base line to score pinch-runner Jacan Warren with the game-winning run.
Hopper was a hard-luck loser for the Cru to drop to 6-4 on the season. Hopper scattered four hits, struck out 10 and allowed three runs in eight and a third innings. Reed Prewitt picked up the win for MC in relief of Seaman to improve to 2-2. Seaman went eight innings, scattered eight hits, struck out seven and walked three. Joseph Villegas, White and Moreau had two hits apiece to lead UMHB's nine-hit attack. Five different Choctaws had hits in the game.
The two teams will play a 2:00 PM game tomorrow in an elimination game for UMHB. A Cru win would set up an if necessary game 30 minutes after completion of that game. R.B. Garza will likely pitch for UMHB against MC's Brett Hinson.
