Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

BELTON, Texas - Jeff Jackson joined three other players in the history of McMurry baseball to hit three home runs in a single game including the go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the 10th inning to help McMurry salvage a Friday doubleheader with Mary Hardin-Baylor at Red Murff Field.

Jackson's heroics rescued McMurry from a dismal first game where the Crusaders won 8-0, but McMurry forced a rubber match Saturday with the 12-9 extra-inning win in the nightcap. The split moved each team to 2-3 in American Southwest Conference West Division with each team looking to move to the .500 mark in the series finale at Noon Saturday.

In the first game, McMurry managed eight hits, but left eight runners on base and as a result were kept scoreless by UMHB and its starter Jared Hopper. Hopper scattered those eight hits over the seven-inning period, walked two and struck out eight to move to 3-1 on the season.

The Crusaders, on the other hand, had eight runs to show for their eight hits and Andrew White, Joseph Villegas and Kyle Flynn all drove in two runs apiece for UMHB while Alfredo Melendez and Chris Joshlin each collected an RBI as well.

Cory Davis picked up the loss for McMurry to fall to 1-2 on the season. He threw four innings, allowed seven runs (three earned), walked four and struck out three. Evan Welch threw two innings of scoreless relief, but McMurry could never muster up an offensive run in a rally effort.

In game two, the lead changed four times before Jackson's third home run of the game sealed victory for McMurry. Jake Mullin drove in a run and Jackson's first three-run homer came in the top of the first to help McMurry begin the game with a 4-0 lead.

McMurry's Derek Saltzgaber doubled home Andrew Bell to in the fifth to give McMurry a 5-2 lead. However, the Crusaders put up four runs in the bottom half of the fifth to give UMHB its first lead of the game at 6-5.

Trailing 7-5 in the top of the seventh, Jake Mullin hit a towering two-run homer to center field to knot the score before Jackson added his second home run of the day, a solo shot, two batters later to help McMurry regain the lead at 8-7.

However, the Crusaders picked up two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on Josh Frederick's RBI groundout and Flynn added a run-scoring single to help UMHB take the lead for a second time.

In the top of the ninth, Michael Falcone singled home Brian Durst with two outs to tie the score at nine. Chris Maldanado recorded the first out on the mound for McMurry in the bottom of the ninth before Chris Semchenko shut down UMHB for the final two outs to force extra innings.

Andrew Bell walked with one out in the top of the tenth, followed by Mullin who drew a base on balls. Then, Mullin was out at second base on a force play while Saltzgaber reached first on the fielder's choice to give McMurry two outs. Then, with two strikes and two outs, Jackson joined former McMurry players, Derek David, Craig Richardson and Greg Erickson when he hit his third home run of the game to deep left centerfield.

Semchenko picked up the win on the mound by throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless, hitless relief and struck out four to move 2-0 on the season. David Keil picked up the loss for UMHB falling to 1-2 on the year.

Jackson finished with seven RBI, which was also a career high for the senior catcher from Pflugerville. Prior to Friday's second game, Jackson had just four career home runs; he nearly doubled his career total and now has seven total in his four years with the team.

McMurry moved to 8-12 overall after the Friday split and UMHB moved to 10-11.