BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Cru fell to Howard Payne 11-10 in UMHB's conference opener Friday in Brownwood. The Cru falls to 3-7 overall and 0-1 in ASC play with the loss. The Yellow Jackets improve to 7-7 overall and 4-0 in the ASC with the win.
 
UMHB grabbed a quick lead with a run-scoring double play in the top of the first, but HPU answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Cru used Jacob Dellipoali's RBI single, an RBI groundout from Mitch Patterson and Caimyn Holiday's RBI single to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the second. HPU tied it in the bottom of the inning, but UMHB added three more in the top of the third. Patterson doubled home a run, Dellipoali singled home a run and Jack Herbert added an RBI single to make it 7-4 Cru. Dellipoali and Herbert drove in runs in the fifth to stretch it to 9-4 before the Yellow Jackets closed to 9-6 in the bottom half of that frame. HPU added a run in the sixth, but Holiday drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh to give UMHB a 10-7 edge. It would stay that way into the bottom of the ninth. The first five batters reached base as the Yellow Jackets tied the game and Noah Payne ended the game with a one-out, bases loaded single.
 
Herbert and Dellipoali had three hits and three RBI apiece for UMHB. Holiday added two RBI as the Cru finished with 12 hits. Harrison Sims took the loss for the Cru to drop to 0-1 on the year. Howard Payne finished with 14 hits, drew five walks and took advantage of two UMHB errors in the game.
 
The two teams will close out the series with a noon doubleheader Saturday in Brownwood. UMHB will then return home to host Trinity University on Tuesday.