Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

ABILENE – McMurry and Hardin-Simmons combined for 52 runs on Saturday as the teams split a doubleheader at Hunter Field.  McMurry won game one of the doubleheader, 15-9, before Hardin-Simmons took game two, 15-13. 

The doubleheader split pushes McMurry to 8-6 on the year and 1-2 in ASC West play; meanwhile, HSU is now 10-7 and 2-1.  McMurry returns to action on Tuesday, March 10, when they host Marietta College at Walt Driggers Field.  The game is slated to start at 7 p.m.

A day after hitting five home runs in a 10-9 loss to HSU, McMurry's home run onslaught continued in game one of the doubleheader as five different McMurry players hit home runs.  Second baseman Weston Franco got things rolling in the top of the first as he nailed a two-out homer to left center field.  McMurry would tack on two more runs on the board in the top of the second as designated hitter Matt Thompson blasted a two-run home run to right centerfield, which gave McMurry a 3-0 lead. 

McMurry extended its lead to 7-0 after a four-run top of the third inning.  With one out in the inning, right fielder Jake Mullin hit a line-drive single off the left field fence, which allowed first baseman Stephen Derrick to score from second (Mullin was thrown out at second as he attempted to get a double, which made two outs in the inning and no runners on base).  Catcher Jeff Jackson continued the inning for McMurry as he nailed a double off the left field fence.  Thompson then platted Jackson with a single to center field, which made it a 5-0 ballgame.  After third baseman Derek Saltzgaber reached on an error by HSU's shortstop, leftfielder Andrew Squyres singled up the middle, which allowed Thompson to score from second and Derek Saltzgaber to advance to third.  Center fielder Gerad Morris then hit a two-out single through the left side of the infield, which allowed Derek Saltzgaber to score the last run of the inning. 

The 7-0 score remained true until the bottom of the fourth when HSU scored three runs to make it a 7-3 game.  But McMurry would get two of those runs back in the top of the fifth as Nathan Saltzgaber hit a pinch-hit opposite-field homer over the right field fence to make it a 9-3 game. 

HSU scored one run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 9-4 game, but McMurry blew the game wide open in the top of the sixth as they scored six runs.  After Mullin led off the inning with a base hit, Jackson belted a two run homer over the right field fence to make it an 11-4 game.  Later in the inning with one out, Morris crushed a three run homer to left center field to make it a 14-4 game.  Shortstop Tre Lips would score McMurry's last run of the game as Derrick nailed a base hit through the right side, which allowed Lips to score from second (Lips reached second by virtue of a one-out double).

HSU scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting, but that was not nearly enough to overcome the 11-run deficit the Cowboys faced going into the last inning.   

Cody Curry got the win for McMurry in game one as he went six innings and only surrendered four earned runs on six hits. 

Five unfortunate errors doomed McMurry in game two.  The Cowboys capitalized on McMurry's defensive miscues as six of HSU's 15 runs were of the unearned variety.

HSU took a 2-0 lead into the third inning before McMurry tacked five runs on the board in the top of the third.  After HSU scored one on the bottom of the third, McMurry would score one more run in the top of the fourth to take a 6-3 lead.  But HSU responded in the bottom of the fourth as the Cowboys put three runs on the board to tie the game at six.   

McMurry answered in the top of the fifth with two more runs to take an 8-6 lead.  HSU was able to muster one run in the bottom half of the fifth at the Cowboys trailed 8-7.  That score remained true until the bottom of the seventh when HSU exploded for four runs to take an 11-8 lead.  McMurry got one of those runs back in the top of the eighth to make it an 11-9 ballgame, but HSU again tacked on four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding 15-9 lead going into the ninth inning. 

McMurry rallied in the top of the ninth as they scored four runs, but it wouldn't be enough as HSU took the game and subsequently the series win. 

With one out in the top of the ninth inning, Mullin hit a solo home run to right field.  It was Mullin's fourth home run of the three-game series.  McMurry senior shortstop Nathan Love also hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning (his second of the year).

Kyle Martin started game two for McMurry and went four and two-thirds innings as he gave up four earned runs on eight hits.  Cory Davis took the loss for McMurry as he pitched two innings and surrendered two runs (one earned) and two hits.