ABILENE, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team grabbed an early lead and then held off a late comeback bid in a 7-3 victory over McMurry University Friday night in Abilene. The Cru improves to 7-18 overall and 2-8 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. The loss drops McMurry to 7-18 overall and 0-10 in the ASC on the year.
Landon Dieterich gave UMHB a 1-0 lead with a first-inning solo homer. The War Hawks tied the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the first. The Cru retook the lead on
Jack Herbert's RBI groundout in the top of the fourth, but McMurry once again had an answer in the bottom of the frame.
Malek Bolin gave UMHB a 4-2 advantage with a two-run single in the top of the fifth. McMurry brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but Cru pitcher
Cameron Whitman coaxed a double-play grounder to work out of a jam. UMHB used two infield singles and an intentional walk to load the bases with one out in the top of the seventh.
Mitch Patterson followed with a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 5-2. McMurry put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Whitman was again able to work out of trouble with a pop-out and a strike out. Herbert singled home Dieterich in the top of the ninth and scored on
Jacob Dellipoali's RBI double as the Cru pushed the lead to 7-2. McMurry pushed across a run in the bottom of the ninth and loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate.
Jeb Zolman got a fly out to center field to end the threat and clinch the victory.
Hunter McQuary had three hits for UMHB and Bolin,
Jackson Godoy and
Caimyn Holiday added two apiece as the Cru finished with 14 hits as a team. Whitman allowed just one earned run on nine hits in eight innings of work to raise his record to 2-3 on the year. Whitman struck out seven and walked four. Four different players had two hits as McMurry finished with 11 as a team. Jack Poe took the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season after giving up five runs on nine hits on the night.
The two teams close out the series with a 1 pm doubleheader on Saturday. UMHB will then return home to host Hardin-Simmons for a three-game conference series next weekend.
