Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

ABILENE, Texas – McMurry swept a crucial doubleheader against Texas Lutheran Sunday afternoon at Walt Driggers Field to win the American Southwest Conference West Division series over the Bulldogs, 2-1.  In his only plate appearance of game one, Ryan Bennett hit an opposite field walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead McMurry past Texas Lutheran, 3-2.  McMurry then carried the momentum from Bennett's late-inning heroics into game two as they knocked off TLU, 3-1, to take the series.

McMurry desperately needed wins on Sunday as they entered the doubleheader on a three-game losing skid and with a 1-3 ASC West mark.  McMurry got what they needed as the doubleheader sweep pushes McMurry back into the middle of the ASC West race as they are now 10-8 overall and 3-3 in ASC West play; meanwhile, Texas Lutheran falls to 14-9 and 3-3.
 
In game one, Bennett nailed the first pitch he saw from TLU pitcher Brad Orosey over the left field fence, which gave Bennett his first collegiate home run.  It was also only Bennett's second plate appearance on the year. 

The first game was suppose to be a seven-inning affair, but McMurry's Jordan Brown got a pinch hit RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, which plated Nathan Love in from second to tie the game at two and push the game into extra innings.  From there, McMurry's Dakota Smith pitched two innings of lockdown relief as he only allowed two TLU base runners and Bennett provided the punch McMurry needed for the win.

TLU got on the board first in game one as the Bulldogs scored one run in the top of the third inning.  But McMurry countered in the bottom of the third as Kory Moench led off the inning with a double to right center and later scored when Weston Franco belted an RBI single with two outs.  TLU would score its second run of the game in the top of the seventh, which set the stage for Brown's clutch hit in the bottom of the seventh.

McMurry starter Cody Curry went seven solid innings and got a no decision as he only surrendered two earned runs on seven hits.  He also struck out three and only walked one.  Smith got the win as he pitched two innings of relief and only allowed one hit and one walk.  Smith improved his season record to 3-2.  Meanwhile, Orosey fell to 4-1 with the loss.  He went 8.2 innings and struck out eight, but he also gave up 10 hits and three runs (two of which were earned). 

Game two was another pitchers' duel as McMurry starter Kyle Martin and TLU starter Logan Hull held their respective opposing batters at bay for most of the game.  Martin went 5.2 innings and only surrendered one earned run and four hits.  He also struck out three batters as he improves to 1-2 with the win.  Hull went 3.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits as he falls to 1-4 with the loss.  McMurry reliever Chris Semchenko pitched the last 1.1 innings for McMurry to get his first save of the year.  Semchenko didn't allow a single base runner in his relief effort. 

McMurry struck first in game two as first baseman Stephen Derrick belted an opposite field two run homer over the left field fence in the bottom of the first.  McMurry would tack its last run of the game on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when centerfielder Gerad Morris nailed a base hit with two outs, which scored Brown from third base.

TLU would score its only run of game two in the top of the sixth, but Semchecko closed the door on the Bulldogs comeback attempt to enable McMurry to get the series win.