AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team earned two road wins against Concordia University Texas Friday afternoon to take the series 2-1. With these wins the Cru's record improves to 19-9, while the Tornados fall to 18-12 on the season.
After a scoreless first inning, Taylor McDaniel broke through for UMHB, hitting a solo home run to lead off the second inning. The Cru then put up three in the third when Riley Bender hit a three-RBI triple to extend the Cru's lead to 4-0. Concordia plated one run in the bottom of the frame to make it a 4-1 game.
Austin Birkhoff kept it going in the fourth, adding another lead-off solo homerun for the Cru. Nolan Williams added one more in the top of the seventh with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Easton Cline. The Tornados responded with two runs on three hits in the eighth. This rounded out the game, sealing the 7-3 victory for UMHB.
Taylor McDaniel led the Cru offensively, tallying three hits in five at-bats with a home run, double, two RBI, and one run scored. Cameron Talburt and Austin Birkhoff added two hits each.
Zach Hampton earned the win on the mound, pitching seven complete innings with four strikeouts, allowing just four hits and one earned run in 27 batters faced.
UMHB opened game two, putting two on the board on wild pitches, scoring Taylor McDaniel and Austin Birkhoff. Trae Deck III added another run for the Cru in the fourth inning off an RBI single to left to score Birkhoff, who opened the inning with a double. The Tornados answered in the fifth, getting one run back, making it a 3-1 game in favor of the Cru.
Concordia took control of the matchup in the sixth inning, scoring three runs on three hits to take the 4-3 lead. The Cru knotted the match at four on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Birkhoff, scoring Easton Cline. UMHB took a two-run lead in the final inning when Jesse Hemmerling and Taylor Martin crossed the plate on a Cline sacrifice fly and a Bender double. Closing pitcher Gavin Oliver recorded the final out with a strikeout looking to secure the Cru's 6-4 win.
Riley Bender added two doubles in game two with one RBI. Austin Birkhoff added a double of his own with an RBI and two runs scored.
UMHB returns to action at Red Murff Field on Thursday, April 9th, in the conference opener against Howard Payne.
