AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team fell to Concordia University Texas 4-2 in the 2023 season opener Friday afternoon in Austin. The Cru fell to 0-1 on the season while the Tornados improved to 5-3 overall. 
 
Andrew Acierni pitched three shutout innings to open the game before the Tornados scored on a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame. Concordia Texas added three more scores in that inning to increase the margin to 4-0. UMHB rallied in the top of the ninth, scoring a pair of runs off an RBI double from Rhett Grosz. The Cru was unable to bring the tying run across, ending the season opener at a 4-2 deficit. 
 
Acierni pitched seven innings for the Cru with two earned runs on 10 hits. He recorded four strikeouts and did not allow any walks. Alex Palczewski pitched the final inning in relief. UMHB recorded nine hits in the contest, led by Kaden DeBerardinis, Hunter Jones and Robert McCall with two each. Jones and McCall were the two Crusaders to score while Drake Herrera, Jones, McCall and Blake Harmon also reached base on walks.
 
UMHB closes out the series tomorrow, Saturday, February 25^th with an 11 a.m. doubleheader against Concordia University Texas in Austin.