Box Score MARSHALL, Texas – McMurry University's baseball team stranded eight runners on base in suffering a 9-2 loss in the opener of a three-game series at East Texas Baptist University. The loss left the War Hawks with a 3-7 record overall, while the Tigers improved to 10-3.
 
McM starter John Eric Cortez absorbed to loss, falling to 0-3 this year. Cortez went 4.2 innings and was charged with four earned runs. He struck out five and walked four. Subsequent McM hurlers did not fare much better against the ETBU bats, as relievers Mike Hoffman was charged with two earned runs in 1.1 innings and Wes Cauley gave up three runs (all earned) in 2.0 frames.
 
The Tigers scored two runs each in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to bolt out to an 8-0 cushion. After McM plated two in the top of the eighth, ETBU added another in the bottom of that inning for the 9-2 final score.
 
In its lone uprising of the game, McMurry's Noah Clarkson opened the eighth with an infield single and took second on a wild pitch. Chris Baker then laced a double to the right-center gap to drive home Clarkson.
 
After a pitching change, Baker moved to third on a ground out. Danny Perkins then lifted a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Baker to trot home with McMurry's second run.
 
Baker was 2-for-4 – both doubles – to lead the War Hawks' eight-hit attack. Perkins was the only other McM player with more than one hit, going 2-for-3, also smacking a double.
 
The two teams play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. to close out the series.