Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team saw the bats come alive in the late innings of both games as the Cru swept a doubleheader from Hardin-Simmons University Saturday in Belton. UMHB won game one 11-9 and took the second game 10-0 to improve to 15-14 overall and 12-9 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Cowboys fall to 8-19 overall and 4-13 in ASC play on the year with the two losses.
 
UMHB erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning on the way to an 11-9 game one victory. Hardin-Simmons strung together four hits and two walks to grab a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Chase Burrow's RBI groundout cut it to 4-1 in the bottom of that inning and Justin Dingman's RBI single pulled UMHB to within 4-2 in the bottom of the second. The Cowboys added an unearned run in the top of the third to push the lead to 5-2 and put three more on the board in the fourth for an 8-2 edge. Burrow's RBI fielder's choice and a run-scoring error closed the gap to 8-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. That set the stage for the Cru's sixth inning explosion. Will Stafford singled home the first two runs, Heath Spencer scored on a wild pitch and the tying run scored on an error. Tripp Reeves gave UMHB the lead with a two-run single and the final run scored on a passed ball. Cory Farr gave up one run in the top of the seventh, but worked his way out of a bases loaded, one-out jam for his third save of the season. Tyler Nelson picked up the win for the Cru with two innings of one-hit relief work. Rob Loewe and Riley Davis had two hits apiece for UMHB. Mike Richardson took the loss for HSU and Cody Berryman had three of the Cowboys 11 hits in the loss.
 
The Cru took control of game two with three runs in the fifth inning on the way to a 10-0 win. Emery Atkisson's fielder's choice scored the first run and another scored on a throwing error. The third run came home on Dakota Parsons' RBI single. Run-scoring singles from Stafford and Atkisson highlighted a four-run sixth inning as UMHB stretched the lead to 7-0.  The Cru closed it out with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. K.J. Stark singled home two runs and Riley Davis scored on a throwing error to end the game on the run rule. Kreece Cooper was dominant on the mound for UMHB, striking out 10 and allowing just two hits in his first shutout of the year to move to 2-3. Stafford had three hits for the Cru and Atkisson, Parsons, Davis and Cole Haag added two each. Ty Engelhardt took the loss for the Cowboys to fall to 0-3 on the year.
 
The Cru will return to action with a three-game ASC series at East Texas Baptist University next weekend. The two teams will open the weekend with a 7:00 PM single game Friday before closing out the weekend with a 1:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday in Marshall.