ABILENE, Texas – A three-run third inning would prove to all the McMurry University baseball team needed in its 4-2 victory over crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons University at Hunter Field.  Due to a quirk in the ASC schedule of games for 2017, the War Hawks' (3-4) win over the Cowboys (4-3) is considered a non-conference game this season.
 
But anyone even remotely familiar with either school knows that when McM and HSU lock horns, the game always has meaning.
 
The War Hawks actually squandered early opportunities to blow the game open in the first two innings, loading the bases in each frame. But the Cowboys would get out of both jams, even though their starter Colt Ritzel last just one-third of an inning after walking three of the four batters he faced.
 
In the top of the third, McM firstbaseman Chris Baker slapped his team-leading third double of the season down the right-field line to lead off the inning. After Matthew Chalk grounded out to second, Garrett Hurst fouled out with Baker advancing to third. Kevin Garza drew a two-out walk to put runners on the corners.
 
With two out and facing the possibility of coming away empty handed for the third straight at-bats, junior shortstop Noah Clarkson instead singled to center, driving home Baker and with Garza stopping at second. With Taylor Ward at the plate, HSU reliever Kyle Barnett uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners ahead 90 feet and, eventually, walking Ward to load the bases.
 
That was all for Barnett. The Cowboys' called in Chandler Carter as the third of HSU's eventual five pitchers in the game. Carter faced McMurry leadoff hitter Robert White first and the sophomore outfielder grounded to shortstop.  However, the relay to first base was errant and both Garza and Clarkson trotted home to make the score 3-0.
 
In their half of the third, HSU scratched for a run off of War Hawks' starter Jack Poe.  The Cowboys would also get to Poe for a single run in the fourth, as well, to make it 3-2. 
 
In the bottom of the fifth, McM would begin a string of four relief pitchers that would combine to shutout the HSU squad the rest of the way. Chase Stone's scoreless fifth inning earned him the win (since Poe did not complete the requisite five innings to gain the victory). Stone was followed by Garrett Scudder in the sixth, along with John Eric Cortez in the seventh and eighth.  Sophomore Juan Valadez had a clean ninth to earn his first save of the season and the seventh of his young McM career.
 
McMurry gave its pitching corps some breathing room in the top of the eighth. With two out, Payton Stokes stroked a single to third base and, with Tyler Jenkins at the plate, went to second on a wild pitch. Jenkins tripled to the left-center gap – his fourth extra-base hit of 2017 – driving in Stokes to make it 4-2.
    
On the day, both Clarkson and Stokes went 2-for-4 as the War Hawks with multiple hits. White, who went 1-for-3, had the pair of runs batted in and walked twice. Jenkins also drew a pair of bases on balls.
 
McMurry will open a three-game non-conference series at home with Texas Lutheran University this weekend. The teams will play a solo game on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader (1 p.m.) at Walt Driggers Field.