HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team earned a 13-5 win over the University of St. Thomas Tuesday evening in Houston. The Cru improved to 11-5 on the season while the Celts went to 10-10.
Alejandro Sanchez III reached on a fielder's choice in the first, advancing to second on a Riley Bender at-bat and stealing third. Sanchez stole home later in the inning, putting the Cru up 1-0.
St. Thomas evened the game in the bottom of that frame, scoring off an RBI single before the Cru put up three second-inning scores. Shane Melick singled before advancing to second on a walk from Jordan Fernandez. Melick advanced to third on a Jasson Hemmerling, Jr. at-bat and then scored off an RBI fielder's choice from Cameron Talburt. Carson Hagan followed that, scoring both Talburt and Fernandez with a two-RBI double to center, putting he Cru ahead 3-1.
The Celts put just one runner on in the bottom of the second before adding another single-run frame in the third. UMHB answered with three more runs in the fourth, scoring off a two-RBI single from Hemmerling and a Cameron Talburt stolen base.
UMHB tacked on one more run in the fifth when Nolan Williams scored on an RBI double from Melick. St. Thomas fought back in the fifth, adding two runs on four hits for an 8-4 score. The Cru added another run in the sixth off an RBI from Sanchez but UST mirrored with a solo run.
The Cru scored three more runs in the seventh with a solo home run from Shane Melick and a two-RBI homer from Talburt. Mason Semmelmann pitched a perfect frame, giving the Cru a 12-5 lead with two innings to play. UMHB added one more run in the ninth when Cameron Talburt hit another home run, sealing the Cru's 13-5 victory.
Carson Hagan led the Cru with four hits while Melick and Talburt each added two. Talburt recorded a team-high four RBI, followed by three other Crusaders with two each. Talburt also led the team with five runs while Melick added three and Jordan Fernandez had two.
UMHB threw six pitchers in the contest. Erick Roberts went three innings, surrendering four hits and two runs. Reid Cormier, Carter Kammlah, Preston Blake and JD Gerda each pitched one frame while Mason Semmelmann added two. Semmelmann did not allow a hit in his outing while Cromie and Gerda gave up just one hit each. UMHB totaled 13 runs on 15 hits with no errors while the Celts had five runs on 12 hits with no errors.
The Cru returns to action Thursday, March 27th - Saturday, March 29th in a four-game conference series against LeTourneau University at Red Murff Field in Belton.
