BELTON, Texas — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team sealed the series sweep over Howard Payne University an 8-2 win Saturday in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 23-9 with a 4-0 record in American Southwest Conference action.
 
Riley Bender broke it open for UMHB in the first inning with a solo homerun over the left field wall to take an early 1-0 lead. Howard Payne responded with two in the top of the second to take the 2-1 upper hand. The Cru took control of the lead again in the bottom of the frame, scoring three runs off singles from Nolan Williams, Landon Pyles, and Cameron Talburt, along with a double from Jasson Hemmerling, Jr.
 
Back-to-back RBI doubles from Williams and Pyles took the Cru up 6-2 in the third inning. UMHB put up one run in the fourth and fifth innings on a Riley Bender sacrifice fly and a Williams solo homerun, taking the score to 8-2. UMHB put runners on in the next three innings but wasn't able to plate any runs. The Yellow Jackets had a runner in scoring position in the ninth but UMHB held on, sealing the 8-2 victory.
 
Cameron Talburt, Nolan Williams and Landon Pyles all recorded three hits while Riley Bender, Williams and Pyles also recorded two RBI each. Williams was the team leader with three runs scored, followed by Tyler Martin with two.
 
Reid Davis earned the win, pitching five innings with four hits and two runs allowed. Jacob Haynes tacked on three scoreless innings while Jackson Keenan pitched the final frame.  
 
UMHB returns to action in Marshall on Thursday, April 16^th in a 6:00pm match up against East Texas Baptist.