BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with LeTourneau University, earning a 4-1 win before falling 4-2 in the second game. UMHB moved to 6-14 on the season while the Yellow Jackets evened at 14-14.
Andrew Acierni opened the first game with a perfect inning before
Rhett Grosz slammed a three-RBI home run in the bottom of that frame for a 3-0 UMHB lead.
Tyler Betts scored another run off an error in the bottom of the third to give UMHB a four-run margin. LeTourneau put up a single-run frame in the fifth, scoring one on an RBI single from Lane Williams but Acierni fought off any additional offensive threats, keeping the 4-1 win for the Cru.
Acierni threw the full seven innings with just four hits allowed. He gave up one earned run with five strikeouts in 27 batters faced.
Tyler Betts,
Hayden Guerin and
Rhett Grosz all recorded hits for the Cru while Grosz had the Cru's three RBI. UMHB totaled four runs on three hits with no errors while the YellowJackets had one run on four hits with one error.
Rhett Grosz gave UMHB another early lead, hitting an RBI double to score
Hayden Guerin for a 1-0 margin in the first inning of game two. UMHB held that lead until the top of the third when the YellowJackets scored the equalizer on an RBI double from Dane Jones. LeTourneau got on top in the fifth inning, scoring a pair of runs on an RBI single from Cameron Pfafman for a 3-1 lead. The Cru responded in the bottom of that frame with another RBI hit from Grosz, scoring
Tyler Betts to cut the lead to one run. LeTourneau added one more run in the top of the eighth inning to extend the margin to two runs.
UMHB had a pair of runners in scoring position in the ninth but wasn't able to bring them home, surrendering the 4-2 game to LeTourneau. Betts and Grosz led the Cru with two hits while Grosz had a team-high two RBI. UMHB totaled two runs on eight hits with no errors while the YellowJackets had four runs on nine hits with one error.
Rahul Champaneri took the loss for UMHB, throwing 4.2 innings with four hits and three runs allowed. Champaneri struck out five of his 23 batters faced.
Nicklas Fenner threw 3.1 innings in relief, giving up four hits and throwing four strikeouts.
Alex Palczewski finished the game on the mound for UMHB, throwing the final inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout.
UMHB returns to action on Tuesday, April 4
th in a 6 p.m. contest against Southwestern University at Red Murff Field in Belton.