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BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team fought back from multiple deficits but could not close out the game as the Cru lost both ends of a doubleheader to #23 Concordia Texas Friday night in Belton. UMHB lost 1-0 in game one before falling 7-5 in 13 innings in the nightcap.
The Cru used a two-run ninth-inning rally to send game two to extra innings and fought back from another deficit in the 12
th before falling 7-5 in 13 innings. CTX grabbed a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the top of the first. UMHB tied it on
Landon Dieterich's RBI single in the bottom of that inning and took a 2-1 lead on
Daylon Nebgen's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second. It would stay that way into the top of the eighth before the Tornados scored twice to take a 3-2 lead. Concordia added a run in the top of the ninth before the Cru rallied.
Malek Bolin led off with a double and came around to score on a passed ball and wild pitch.
Hunter McQuary's two-out single plated
Jack Herbert to send it to extra innings. Both teams left runners on base before CTX broke through on Casen Novak's RBI single in the top of the 12
th. Dieterich singled home the tying run in the bottom of the inning, but UMHB would leave the bases loaded. The Tornados scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error and added an insurance run on a groundout in the top of the 13
th. Noah Pendergrass set the Cru down in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win and notch his first save of the year.
Bailey Whatley took the loss for UMHB to drop to 1-3 despite giving up just one earned run in relief.
Aaron Edelmon took a two-hitter into the top of the eighth. Dieterich had three hits for the Cru and Bolin,
Mitch Patterson and Herbert added two hits apiece. Brett Lieferman was the only Concordia player with two hits in game. Michael William earned the win to move to 10-1 on the season for the Tornados.
The Cru could not take advantage of an outstanding pitching performance from
Andrew Hutchings in a 1-0 game one loss. The Tornados bunched three hits in the top of the first inning and chased the game's only run across on Reed Carlton's RBI single. UMHB was limited to three hits and just four base runners in the game. Each of those runners reached scoring position, but the Cru could not score the tying run. Hutchings started the game on ten minutes notice after an injury forced a change. He threw a complete-game eight-hitter, striking out one and walking one while falling to 3-2. Calvin Bush threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout for Concordia. He struck out 14 and walking just one while raising his record to 4-0 on the year.
The Cru finishes the season at 11-26 overall and 5-14 in American Southwest Conference play. Friday's doubleheader also closes out the careers of UMHB seniors
Jackson Godoy,
Connor Heussner,
Mitch Patterson and
Kody Ramon. Concordia improves to 29-10 overall and 15-6 in the ASC and the Tornados will advance to the ASC Championship Tournament.