Box Score Box Score
Tyler, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team built an early lead and then held off U.T.-Tyler's comeback bid as the Cru posted a 9-8 victory over the Patriots Friday night in Tyler. UMHB improves to 2-0 on the season with the victory. The loss drops U.T.-Tyler, the defending American Southwest Conference champions, to 0-1 on the year. The game was the opening contest of the Easton Classic Tournament.
The Cru would grab a 2-0 lead when
Josh Fredrick blasted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. U.T.-Tyler would use a three-run second to take a 3-2 lead but UMHB answered with a three-run fourth inning.
Doak Fleming singled home the first two runs and came around to score the third run on
Kyle Flynn's single. The Cru would stretch the lead to 8-3 with three more in the sixth. Fleming singled home another run and Marshall Coots added an RBI groundout. U.T.-Tyler cut it to 8-5 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and added another in the seventh to pull to within 8-6.
Seth Lynn scored on a passed ball in the top of the eighth to give the Cru a 9-6 edge, but Cody Jones blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 9-8. The Patriots would put two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Lynn struck out Nick Clifton to end the threat and the ball game.
Cameron Arnett earned the win for UMHB to move to 1-0. Arnett pitched five innings, scattering seven hits and allowing three runs. Lynn earned his first collegiate save after striking out three and giving up just one hit in three hits. Matt Sparks took the loss for U.T.-Tyler to drop to 0-1 on the year.
Fleming drove in a career-high three runs and went 2-4. Fredrick was 3-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Lynn and Flynn added two hits apiece in an 11-hit offensive attack.
The Cru will close out the tournament with two more games tomorrow. UMHB will face U.T.-Dallas in a 2:00 PM start to open tomorrow's action before closing out the day with a 5:00 PM rematch against U.T.-Tyler.
