BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team dropped a doubleheader to LeTourneau University Saturday afternoon in Belton, falling 17-8 and 10-4 to the YellowJackets. The wins improve LeTourneau to 14-14 on the season and 12-10 in American Southwest Conference action. The Cru fell to 17-17 overall and 14-12 in conference play.
LeTourneau took control of the first game early, scoring nine unanswered runs in the first three innings. Ryan Bertram scored first, reaching home off a passed ball from the Cru in the top of the first. The YellowJackets then put up back-to-back four-run innings, before UMHB responded, scoring Dakota Parsons off an RBI single from Tripp Reeves in the bottom of the third. LeTourneau added one more run in the top of the fourth when Kyle Jacobs hit in Dillon Yates with an RBI single, extending the YellowJackets' lead to 10-1. UMHB put up seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut LeTourneau's lead to two runs. Seth Martin and Caleb Davis hit back-to-back RBI singles, scoring Heath Spencer and Justin Dingman. Parsons brought a runner in with an RBI fielder's choice before Cole Haag hit a single to left field, scoring Davis and cutting LeTourneau's lead to five runs. Spencer struck again, hitting a two-RBI single just over the shortstop, scoring Haag and Parsons. Dingman batted in the final run of the inning off a single, scoring Mazoch and cutting LeTourneau's lead to 10-8.The YellowJackets responded, scoring seven runs off eight hits in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 17-8. UMHB was unable to respond in the bottom of the seventh sealing the win for the YellowJackets. Dingman led the Cru with three hits while Stark and Spencer each recorded two. Spencer led the Cru with two RBI while Parsons led with two runs. Seth Hill took the loss for UMHB, allowing five runs on four hits with three strikeouts. UMHB totaled eight runs on 12 hits with five errors. The YellowJackets had 17 runs on 21 hits with two errors.
LeTourneau again grabbed a single-run lead in the top of the first when Sean Sellers scored, opening the contest with a 1-0 LeTourneau lead. The YellowJackets added three more runs in the top of the third, extending the lead to 4-0. LeTourneau added two more runs in the top of the fifth before K.J. Stark hit a home run over the right field wall to cut the lead to 6-1. Tripp Reeves got UMHB on the board next, hitting a groundout RBI to score Rob Loewe from third. LeTourneau put up three more runs before Chase Burrow drove Loewe in with a double, cutting the YellowJackets' lead to 9-3. Burrow scored one batter later off an RBI single from Tripp Reeves, cutting LeTourneau's lead to five runs. The YellowJackets added one more run in the top of the eighth, sealing the 10-4 win. Parsons, Loewe, Burrow, Reeves and Riley Davis each recorded two hits. Reeves led the Cru with two RBI while Loewe scored a team-high two runs. Aaron Barteau took the loss for the Cru, giving up one run in 1.1 innings pitched. UMHB totaled four runs on 13 hits with three errors while the YellowJackets had ten runs on 13 hits with one error.
UMHB will finish the series tomorrow in a 1 p.m. single game at Red Murff Field in Belton.