ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University baseball gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the difference in a 4-2 loss at Hardin-Simmons University's Hunter Field in the opener of the three-game series.  The War Hawks fell to 9-12 overall (4-3 ASC) and the Cowboys improved to 13-7 (7-3 ASC).
 
HSU pushed across a run against McM starter Benjamin Russell in the bottom of the first. But the War Hawks' junior lefty would blank HSU for the next four innings.
 
In the interim, McM tied the game in the top of the third.  With one out, Robert White doubled off the left field wall and went to third on Kevin Garza's fly out to center.  With Jordan Speck at the plate, Cowboys' starting pitcher Jeremy Hallmark uncorked a wild pitch that allowed White to score. As it turned out, White would have made it home either way, as Speck doubled.
 
In the fifth, the War Hawks took the lead, thanks to some Cowboy miscues. Matt Chalk opened the frame with a single to center. Chalk took second on an errant throw by the catcher on a pickoff attempt and went to third on a passed ball. He scored on Blaine McRay's ground out to first to make it 2-1 in favor of McMurry.
 
In the seventh, Russell issued a two-out walk and that spelled the end of his night, as reliever Aaron Donald took the mound. Leadoff man Taylor Cooling smashed a one-hop grounder right back at Donald on his first pitch. Donald knocked the ball down out of reflexive self-preservation and tossed it over to first to end the inning.
 
Russell allowed five of the Cowboys' eight hits and the two earned runs.  He struck out four and walked two, leaving with no decision.
 
But the eighth was the War Hawks undoing. After Donald flagged down a hard liner right at him for the first out, HSU got two-consecutive singles. Both runners moved up when Donald was called for a balk. The next batter was intentionally walked to set up the force and McM head coach called on reliever Ricky Lopez to try to quell the threat.  
 
However, designated hitter Colton Parker greeted Lopez with a sharp single that plated two runs for the deciding margin, 4-2. Donald (1-1) was saddled with the loss for McM.
 
White finished the night by going 2-for-4 with a run. Kevin Garza was also 2-for-4 with a walk, leading the War Hawks' nine-hit night.
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday at Hunter Field.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.