ABILENE, Texas – For the second time in 24 hours, McMurry University's baseball team split a doubleheader, this time with Wayland Baptist University. The War Hawks (2-2) lost the first game of the day, 6-2, to the Pioneers (1-1) and then had to work overtime to win the nightcap, 6-5, in 12 innings at Walt Driggers Field.
It was the first meeting between the teams since the 2011 season, when WBU hammered McMurry, 14-3. The War Hawks lead the all-time series, 14-12.
In game one, WBU led wire-to-wire after scoring single runs in the first and second, before adding two in the top of the third for the 4-0 lead. McM added two in the bottom half of the frame, thanks to a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by
Ben Douglas and
Mikal Hunter's RBI single.
The Pioneers upped their advantage to four runs once more, plating two more runs in the top of the fifth for the 6-2 final score in the seven-inning game one.
Hunter went 2-for-4 in the game, while Rickey Garcia went 2-for-3 for McM.
Kyle Sargent and
Cody Howard scored the War Hawks' runs.
McM starter
Ben Bates (0-1) took the loss, going 4.2 innings. Bates permitted seven hits and six runs (three earned) for his stint.
Redshirt freshman
Robbie Schmidt tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief in his first appearance in the McMurry colors to close out the game.
In game two, the War Hawks actually scored first for the first time in the four games thus far. In the bottom of the first, Sargent led off with a double and took third on the throw. Then next batter –
Christian Simmons – slapped a single through the left side to make it 1-0.
The host McM team added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning when Simmons – who had reached on a single and moved up to second on a ground out. Two successive wild pitches got Simmons home and an RBI single by
Zack Hagan drove home Hunter to make it 3-0 in McMurry's favor.
WBU cut the margin to 3-2 in their half of the fourth when Gaby De La Cruz blasted a two-run homer to left field.
McMurry starter
Trevor Ragsdale was lifted after seven strong innings, scattering eight hits and the two earned runs. Ragsdale struck out five and walked two, throwing 83 pitches in his first outing of 2015.
Facing War Hawks' reliever
Tyler Jenkins, the visitors took the lead in the top of the eighth with a three-run at-bat (all charged to Jenkins). The Pioneers sent six men to the plate, the big blow being a two-run double by WBU's Josh Vera that made it 5-4.
With its back to the wall, Hagan opened the bottom of the eight with a single off of Pioneers' relief man Logan Evans. But Hagan was caught stealing with Garcia at the plate. Garcia then singled through the right side.
Joel Villarreal popped to second for the second out of the inning.
Nick Marsh singled sharply to left field and, when the ball was misplayed, Garcia motored home with the tying run, 5-5.
Neither team generated a threat in the ninth, tenth of 11th innings, but in the bottom of the 12th, the War Hawks ended the stalemate. With Austin Davis on the hill for WBU, Howard blistered a double to right-center field.
Douglas drew a walk and Hunter laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both base runners. Hagan was intentionally walked to set up the potential force out.
That brought up Garcia – who drove in the winning runs on Monday versus Angelo State – with a chance to do the same versus Wayland Baptist. Garcia worked the count to 3-1 before looping a base hit to center that drove in Howard with the winning run, 6-5.
Ricky Lopez earned the win with 4.0 innings of no-hit, no-run relief work. Lopez struck out three and walked one.
Hagan was 4-for-5 in game two, with one walk and one RBI. Garcia was 3-for-5 with a walk, a run and two ribbies. Sargent, Simmons, Hunter and Marsh each collected two hits. Hunter scored twice.
As a team, the War Hawks out-hit the Pioneers 16-11. Each team committed two errors.
