BELTON, Texas - University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team split a Wednesday doubleheader with Texas Lutheran University, falling 10-3 to the Bulldogs but rallying back for a 15-0 shutout in game two. The Cru moved to 7-4 with the split while the Bulldogs went to 9-5.
 
Mason Goudeau hit a home run on the first pitch of the game, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the first. Texas Lutheran tacked on one more run in the second inning before the Cru put up three runs in the bottom of that frame. Riley Bender tripled then scored on an RBI double from Shane Melick. Melick came around to score two batters later off an RBI single from Easton Cline before Cline scored on a Carson Hagan single.
 
The Bulldogs added another single run frame in the third and opened the fourth with a solo shot to left field for a 4-3 lead. Texas Lutheran put a runner on later in the inning but a catch at the wall from Exavier Mendez and a diving stop at second from Alejandro Sanchez III got the Cru out of the rest of the inning.
 
Texas Lutheran tacked on another single-run inning in the fifth before a pair of two-RBI home runs in the sixth put them ahead 9-3. The Bulldogs added one more run in the top of the seventh to secure the 10-3 victory.
 
Five different Crusaders recorded hits in the contest while three scored runs. James McGlumphy took the loss on the mound, throwing 5.1 innings with eight hits and seven runs allowed. McGlumphy struck out five batters in the loss, surrendering just one walk. J.D. Gerda and Erick Roberts pitched in relief, combining for 1.2 innings with four strikeouts. UMHB totaled three runs on six hits with three errors while the Bulldogs had 10 runs on 11 hits.
 
Kolby McBee pitched out of a first-inning jam in the first inning of game two. McBee loaded the bases but finished the inning with a strikeout and a pair of popups to get out unscathed. UMHB's offense struck in the bottom of that inning, scoring five runs off three hits.
 
Carson Hargan opened with a walk and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Alejandro Sanchez III followed that with a walk before Shane Melick slammed an RBI single to left center, scoring Hagan and advancing Sanchez to second. Sanchez crossed the plate on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Cru lead before Jordan Fernandez hit in Melick with a double to left center. Jasson Hemmerling, Jr. closed out scoring in the inning with a two-RBI home run for the 5-0 margin.
 
McBee had runners on in the next three innings but pitched around them to hold the shutout. Easton Cline opened the fourth inning with a single to right field and advanced on a Cameron Talburt sacrifice bunt. Hagan got on with another earned walk before Tyler Betts loaded the bases with a single to the shortstop. With the bases loaded, Sanchez stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam, bringing four runners home for a 9-0 Cru lead. Riley Bender followed, hitting a home run on the next pitch for a 10-0 Cru margin.
 
UMHB tacked on four more runs in the fifth with back-to-back hits from Sanchez and Bender, scoring Hagan and Betts. Melick followed with an RBI that scored Sanchez while Bender came around on an RBI single from Hemmerling. Austin Birkhoff drove in the Cru's final run, scoring Daniel Trevino with an RBI single in the eighth for the 15-0 win.
 
Bender led the Cru with three hits while Sanchez and Hemmerling each added two. Hagan and Sanchez both scored a team-high three runs while Sanchez drove in five RBI.
 
Kolby McBee pitched the six innings for the Cru, allowing just five hits in 26 batters faced. McBee's shutout included three strikeouts with just three walks allowed. Reid Cromie threw the final inning for the Cru, striking out one of three batters faced. UMHB totaled 15 runs on 13 hits with no errors while the Bulldogs had five hits and two errors.
 
UMHB returns to action in a three-game series with Muhlenberg at Red Murff Field in Belton. The series will start with a 6 p.m. single game on Friday, March 14^th and close with a noon doubleheader on Saturday, March 15^th.