BELTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with the University of Texas at Dallas, earning a 2-1 win before falling 9-6 in extra innings.
Acierni started the game one out strong for UMHB, getting out of the first inning with less than 10 pitches. He kept the momentum going in the second inning, working around a leadoff walk and retiring the next three batters.
Carson Hagan led off the second inning with a single for UMHB and got to third off small ball and aggressive base running. Warren Sammons hit-in Hagan with an RBI single to give the Cru a 1-0 lead. Acierni continued his dominance with his second perfect frame in the third before UMHB manufactured another run in the bottom of that frame. deBerardinis led off the inning with a walk before Guerin and Grosz produced quality at-bats, driving deBerardinis home on a sacrifice fly by Grosz.
Acierni gave up his first hit in the top of the fourth, but was able to work around the threatening Comets lineup, inducing two straight ground ball outs to close the top of the fourth. UMHB showed their defensive prowess in the fifth with a trio of impressive plays on slow ground balls to keep the two-run lead. The Cru had traffic on the bases early in the fifth but wasn't able to score the runners.
The Comets had one last chance in the seventh but Acierni worked around the jam to keep the 2-0 win. Carson Hagan led the way for the Cru on offense, reaching base in all three plate appearances, including two hits. Hagan also stole a bag and scored one of UMHB's two runs. On the mound, Andrew Acierni was dominant, making quick work of the Comets lineup in every inning, and only allowing six baserunners all game.
Game two started with a clean first inning on both sides before the Comets came out swinging in the second, scoring two runs on a double from Daniel Zamora. The Cru battled back in the third to tie the contest at two. Tyler Betts and Kaden deBerardinis both singled before Hayden Guerin drove them in with a double to the right centerfield wall.
With the game still tied at two, UMHB scored Blake Harmon off a wild pitch to take their first lead of the game but the Comets answered with an RBI single in the next frame to knot the game once again.
Nicklas Fenner entered for the Cru in the top of the sixth, replacing Rahul Champaneri, and made quick work of the bottom-half of the Comets order. Fenner returned in the seventh and continued to impress on the mound, retiring three of the four batters he faced before throwing another perfect inning in the eighth.
UMHB scored the go-ahead in the eighth off a wild pitch but the Comets answered in the top of the ninth, scoring Will Dolan off an RBI single. UT Dallas's offense came alive in the top of the 11th, scoring five runs in the frame to take a substantial lead. UMHB fought back in the bottom of that frame, scoring a pair of runs on RBI from Betts and deBerardinis but wasn't able to catch up, falling 9-6 in game two.
Nicklas Fenner led the way for the Cru, pitching four innings with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed. Blake Harmon and Kaden deBerardinis led the UMHB offense in game two, reaching base a combined five times and scoring two of the four runs for the Cru.
UMHB returns to action on Tuesday, April 18th in a 6 p.m. contest against the University of St. Thomas (Houston). The game is the Cru's first CRUSH CANCER event, with a special seventh-inning ceremony honoring individuals who have fought and are currently fighting cancer. For more information on the game, visit www.cruathletics.com/crushcancer.
