Game 1 Box

Game 2 Box

ABILENE – McMurry and Mary Hardin-Baylor split a doubleheader Saturday at Walt Driggers Field.  The Cru had their bats working in game one as they won 11-1, but McMurry rebounded in the second game to take it 6-4.  The doubleheader split on Saturday gave UMHB the American Southwest Conference West Division series against McMurry, 2-1.

McMurry is now 11-12 overall and 4-5 in ASC West play; meanwhile, the Cru move to 14-9 and 6-3.  McMurry returns to action at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 20, when they host Manchester College in non-conference action from Walt Driggers Field. 

In game two, McMurry used a six-run bottom of the fifth, which proved to be all the run support they would need for the win.  McMurry went into the bottom of the fifth trailing 2-0 as they were trying to avoid the three-game series sweep.  Nathan Love helped McMurry get its first run on the board as he hit a one-out RBI base hit to right center, which plated Derek Patterson from third.  Tre Lips then reached on a fielder's choice, which scored Derek Saltzgaber from third to tie the game at two. 

McMurry would then tack on four more runs in the inning, all with two outs.  Weston Franco broke the tie with an RBI double, which plated Love.  Stephen Derrick then ripped a two-RBI base hit to right field, which scored Lips from third and Franco from second to make it a 5-2 game.  After Jake Mullin singled to left field to move Derrick over to third, Jeff Jackson singled to right field, which allowed Derrick to advance to third before an error by UMHB's rightfielder allowed Derrick to advance home for McMurry's sixth and final run of the inning. 

The Cru scored two runs in the seventh, but that would be all they could muster as McMurry pitchers Dakota Smith and Chris Semchenko were able to hold off UMHB's comeback effort.  Smith got the win as he pitched 4.1 innings of relief and only surrendered two runs on six hits.  Semchenko got the save as he got the last two batters out in the top of the ninth inning with the bases loaded.

Game one of the doubleheader was a rough one for McMurry as UMHB scored at least one run in five of the seven innings.  The Cru put three runs on the board in the top of the first; one run in the third inning; three runs in the fifth inning; three runs in the sixth inning; and one run in the seventh inning.  Meanwhile, McMurry scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Nathan Saltzgaber drove in Brian Durst with an RBI base hit. 

UMHB catcher Derek Draeger had a huge game one as he went 2 for 4 with both of his hits being home runs.  He also scored three times and drove in four runs.