BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team led early and then held on late as the Cru posted a 10-9 victory over Howard Payne Friday afternoon in Brownwood. UMHB improves to 12-12 overall and 5-8 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. The loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 4-17 overall and 1-15 in the ASC on the season.
 
UMHB grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Malek Bolin's RBI single and Rhett Grosz's three-run double. HPU answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, but UMHB tacked on a run on Caimyn Holiday's RBI single in the top of the second. The Yellow Jackets scored three in the bottom of the third to grab a 6-5 lead. The Cru once again had an answer, this time with a three-run fourth inning. Hunter McQuary doubled home the first run and Bolin singled home two more for and 8-6 UMHB lead. HPU tied it up at eight in the bottom of the fifth and it would stay that way into the top of the eighth frame. The Cru loaded the bases with no outs but could only manage Holiday's sacrifice fly for a 9-8 lead. Hunter Jones singled home what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth as Howard Payne pushed across a run in the bottom of the ninth, but left the tying run at third base.
 
Bolin led the Cru with four hits and three RBI and Holiday, McQuary and Grosz all added two hits apiece. Trevor Ripke earned the win for UMHB to raise his record to 2-4. Ripke struck out two and allowed just two hits and a run in one a two-thirds innings of relief work.
 
The two teams will close out the series with a 1 pm doubleheader on Saturday in Brownwood. UMHB will then play a non-conference game at Texas Lutheran University Tuesday in Seguin.