BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team took a two-game sweep over No. 23 East Texas Baptist University Friday afternoon in Belton. The wins improved the Cru to 23-15 on the season while the Tigers fell to 24-13.
 
ETBU opened with a big first inning, scoring one run on a solo home run and an RBI ground out to take a two-run lead. UMHB answered with a strong response in the bottom of that frame. Carson Hagan got on with a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on an earned walk from Easton Cline. After a stolen base, Hagan came around to score on an RBI single from Shane Melick. Melick stole second then advanced to third on an RBI single from Alejandro Sanchez III that scored Cline. Melick scored next, coming around on a single from Austin Birkhoff for a 3-2 Cru lead after the first inning.
 
The Tigers put a pair of runners on in the second but a double-play and groundout to third base got the Cru out of the jam. Riley Bender hit a sacrifice fly in the second to score Carson Hagan for a 4-2 Cru lead. ETBU responded with a third-inning single-frame to cut the gap to just one, but UMHB answered again in the fifth with Sanchez sliding into home on a wild pitch for a 5-3 lead.
 
ETBU added one run in the fourth but Isaac Brann forced a fly out to right field to end the contest, sealing the 5-4 win. Kolby McBee earned the win on the mound for the Cru, throwing 6.1 innings with four earned runs allowed and two strikeouts. Isaac Brann grabbed the save, throwing 0.2 innings.
 
Hagan, Sanchez and Birkhoff each recorded two hits while Melick and Jasson Hemmerling, Jr. each added one. Hagan also had a team-high two runs with four different Crusaders each adding an RBI. UMHB totaled five runs on eight hits with one error while the Tigers had four runs on 11 hits with no errors.
 
ETBU opened game two with a four-run first inning to take an early lead. That score held until the bottom of the fourth inning when Shane Melick hit a solo home run to cut into the gap. The Tigers loaded the bases in the top of the sixth but a swinging strikeout and force flyout from James McGlumphy got the Cru out of the jam unscathed. ETBU opened the seventh with a pair of singles but UMHB's defenses responded with a triple play on the next batter, ending the inning. The Cru's offense rallied in the seventh, scoring two runs. Carson Hagan got on with a hit-by-pitch and moved to second on a bunt single from Easton Cline. Riley Bender scored Hagan with an RBI single to centerfield before Easton Cline scored on a deep double to left field from Melick.
 
ETBU threatened again in the eighth inning with runners on second and third. Mason Semmelmann threw a wild pitch and runners attempted to advance but Semmelmann beat the runner home and applied the tag to keep the Tigers scoreless for the seventh consecutive inning.
 
UMHB put two runners on in the eighth with back-to-back walks before Riley Bender slammed a home run over the left field wall, giving the Cru a 6-4 lead. Isaac Brann took the mound in the ninth, throwing three outs for the save. James McGlumphy started on the mound, throwing five shutout frames with just four runs and seven hits allowed. McGlumphy also struck out five in his outing. Semmelmann added two frames with just four hits allowed while Brann gave up one hit in his one-inning save.
 
Melick led the Cru with three hits while Birkhoff added two. Bender had a team-high four RBI while Hagan and Cline each added two runs.
 
UMHB totaled six runs on 10 hits while the Tigers had four runs on 12 hits. The series continues on Saturday, April 26^th with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. UMHB will honor the 2025 senior class after the game.