BROWNWOOD, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team defeated Howard Payne University 6-2 Friday afternoon in Brownwood. The Cru improved to 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in American Southwest Conference action while the Yellow Jackets fell to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

UMHB opened scoring in the third inning on a sacrifice flyout from Carson Hagan to score Blake Gonzalez. With the next at-bat, Rhett Grosz tripled to right center field to bring Cameron Talburt and Tyler Betts home. Grosz added the fourth run of the inning, scoring on a sacrifice flyout from Riley Bender.

After a perfect inning in the bottom of the third, the Cru added two more runs in the next frame. Blake Gonzalez hit a triple down the right field line to score Easton Cline. Tyler Betts followed that with a sacrifice flyout to bring in Gonzalez to extend the gap 6-0.

The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the fifth to cut the margin to four. UMHB recorded perfect innings in the eighth and the ninth to secure the 6-2 victory.

Andrew Acierni (2-0) earned the win for the Cru, throwing five innings allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Quint Mullen and Jacob Haynes both made mound appearances, pitching two innings each. UMHB recorded seven hits, led by Betts with three.  

UMHB returns to action with a noon start doubleheader to close the three-game series in Brownwood.