BELTON, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball split a Saturday doubleheader with the University of La Verne, earning a walk-off victory in game one before falling in game two. UMHB moved to 15-6 on the season after the split while the Leopards leave Belton with a 10-6 record.
 
UMHB gave up one in the second inning on a La Verne RBI double to give the Leopards an early 1-0 lead. Taylor McDaniel responded immediately with a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the frame to knot the matchup at one. The Leopards added two in the third to take the 3-2 upper hand. A Crusader three-run inning gave UMHB the 4-3 lead capitalized by doubles from McDaniel and Austin Birkhoff.
 
McDaniel added his second RBI double in the fifth to score Riley Bender, extending the Cru's deficit to 5-3. The Leopards followed with a one-run top of the sixth, followed by two in the seventh to take the 6-5 lead. UMHB tied it up in the bottom of the eighth when Jacob Newland tripled to right center, later scoring on a Jasson Hemmerling, Jr. RBI single. La Verne made it a two-run deficit in the top of the ninth, moving the score to 8-6 in the Leopards' favor. McDaniel answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo homerun, cutting the lead to one. Braden Fuentes entered the game to pinch hit, slicing a single to left to score Williams, tying the game at 8-8. Landon Pyles came into hit, placing a double in shallow left field to score Fuentes from first to seal the walk-off 9-8 victory.
 
Taylor McDaniel went four for five with two homeruns, two doubles, and four RBI, along with three runs scored. Jacob Newland added two hits in four at-bats with a double and a triple, with one run scored.
 
Zach Hampton opened the game on the mound, throwing 5.0 innings with four strikeouts, giving up just two hits. Gavin Oliver earned his first win for the Cru, pitching the Cru's final out.
 
The Leopards took another early lead in game two, plating three runs in the second and four in the fourth for a seven-run margin. Easton Cline singled to right center to score Talburt in the bottom of the third. The Leopards added seven more runs to take a 14-1 in the seventh. The Cru plated one more run in the bottom of that frame, ending the contest in a 14-2 La Verne victory.
 
Four Crusaders each recorded a hit in game two with Talburt and Josh O'Malley both scoring runs. Reid Davis took the loss on the mound, throwing two innings with six hits and six runs allowed. Ryland Anders, Patrick Reyes, Cole Haisler and Jacob Haynes all pitched in relief.
 
UMHB returns to action in the East Texas Baptist University Spring Classic on Friday, March 20th in Marshall, Texas. The Cru will take on Texas Lutheran at 11:00 a.m. to open the tournament.