CONWAY, Ark. – For the second-consecutive game in the National Christian College Athletic Association Central Region Championships the McMurry University baseball team run-ruled its opponent, this time blitzing Arlington Baptist University, 15-3, at Victory Field. The win improved the War Hawks (the No. 2 seed in the tournament) to 31-11 on the year and advanced the team to the semifinals versus top-seed Oklahoma Christian at 3 p.m. on Friday.
 
OCU advanced with a 10-2 win over Dallas Christian in its quarterfinal bout.
 
McM again used all of its tools to register the win. The War Hawk batters tied its season high with 18 hits versus the Patriots (21-28), the 31st double-digit hit total of 2015. The team also amassed double figures in runs for the 18th time this season, as well.
 
McMurry collected a total of seven extra-base hits, including home runs by Zack Hagan – his team leading 10th roundtripper – Ben Douglas and Mikal Hunter. Douglas belted a solo shot to open the third inning, while Hagan and Hunter smashed their homers in McMurry's five-run eighth inning.
 
But it's Kyle Sargent's red-hot bat that gets his team into high gear. Going 3-for-5, Sargent's two-run double in the second inning plated his team's first runs of the night. Ricky Garcia also had a two-run double in the frame – his first hit of the tourney – and Cody Howard an RBI single that gave the War Hawks a 5-0 cushion.
 
Douglas' fifth homer of the season and RBI single by Christian Simmons in the fifth put McM up 7-0. In the seventh inning, Simmons smacked a two-run single and then scored himself when Sargent laced his second double of the night, making it 10-0.
 
The Patriots finally got to McM starter Lanny Zier in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs. Zier would be lifted after 6.1 innings, as he improved his personal record to 9-1. Zier scattered eight hits and struck out five ABC batters, while walking just one. Rody Johnson came on in relief of Zier and finished the game for McM head coach John Byington.
 
After McM added the five runs to their tally in the eighth, making the score 15-2, Arlington Baptist added a final run in their half of the inning for the 15-3 final score.
 
Joining Sargent's big game was Hunter and Simmons, who both went 3-for-5. Simmons had three RBI, while Hunter drove in two. Garcia, Howard and Nick Marsh each collected two hits. Garcia drove in two and scored twice.