ABILENE, Texas – After suffering a pair of walk-off losses in its last two outings, the McMurry baseball team bounced back in a big way by knocking off the No. 15-ranked team in NCAA III, Trinity University, 12-4. The War Hawks' (28-9) win over the Tigers (25-11) was also the home finale of the 2015 season at Walt Driggers Field.
The contest had ample offense from both sides, as McM rolled up 15 hits to 13 by TU, but the hosts managed to string theirs together. The teams also combined for eight doubles, five by McMurry (with two off the bat of
Kyle Sargent). The War Hawks'
Zack Hagan also slugged his team-leading ninth home run of the season – a two-run shot in the first inning – to put McMurry on top, 2-0, early.
Trinity manufactured a pair of runs in the top of the second to knot the game at two, apiece. But the War Hawks would tally two runs again in each the second and third frames – slapping three hits in each, as well – to take a 6-2 advantage. A two-RBI double by Sargent in the second, along with an infield RBI single in the third were the key hits for McM. McMurry also got a run on a TU throwing error in the third.
McMurry added three runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth to account for its run total. Trinity added single runs in the fifth and ninth innings for the 12-4 final score.
McM head coach
John Byington called on his fifth starter – sophomore
Trevor Ragsdale (2-1) – to take on the talented Trinity team. Ragsdale responded with his most solid outing of the season, giving his team six strong innings and scattering nine hits. He was charged with three runs, only two of which were earned.
Lanny Zier,
Rody Johnson and
Ben Bates worked an inning of relief. Bates was charged with TU's final run as he, and fellow starter Zier, got in some work between starts.
Meanwhile, McMurry's hitting barrage was led by the trio of Hagan,
Ricky Garcia and Sargent, with each man collecting three hits. Garcia drove in four runs, while Hagan and Sargent each managed three RBI. Hagan, along with
Cody Howard, scored three times, as well.
Junior second baseman
Patrick Adams was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The War Hawks and the University of Texas-Dallas have altered their three-game series this weekend to close out McM's regular season. Friday's game scheduled in Abilene, will instead be played Sunday in Richardson at Noon. The teams will also play a doubleheader at UTD on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., prior to that Sunday date.
