ABILENE, Texas – Jordan Speck blooped a two-run single to left field in the bottom of the ninth to give the McMurry University baseball team a walk-off non-conference win over Texas Wesleyan University, 5-4, at Walt Driggers Field. The War Hawks (10-15) also snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Rams (24-8).
 
McMurry trailed their NAIA foes, 4-3, after the visitors tallied a run in the top of the ninth that broke a 3-3 deadlock. TWU had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, only to have the War Hawks claw their way back with a two-out solo homerun from Randy Crevier in the McM half of the third, followed by Tyler Jenkins' team-leading fourth homer – a solo shot – to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
 
Junior firstbaseman Chris Baker followed Jenkins' blast with a double down the left field line.  With Payton Stokes then popped a ball to rightfield, which was dropped for an error, allowing Baker to move over to third.  Stokes then stole second, but the throw sailed into center to permit Baker to trot home with the tying run, 3-3.
 
Meanwhile, the McMurry bullpen was solid in relief of starter Mike Gonzales, who worked four innings and did not figure in the decision.  A committee of five War Hawk hurlers followed Gonzales, with the first four – John Eric Cortez, Garrett Scudder, Chase Stone and Jack Poe - each working one scoreless inning, apiece. In the sixth, Scudder got some defensive help with a runner in scoring position when his defense turned in your run-of-the-mill, garden variety fielder's choice rundown at third, which looked more like a phone number in the scorebook, 6-5-4-6-4-1.
 
The fifth - and final - pitcher was Jenkins. Jenkins (1-3) picked up his first win of the season and – despite giving up a run in his stint – got some great help from rightfielder Robert White.  With one out and a runner at second, TWU's Casey Moses singled to right and, when the runner tried to come home, was gunned down at the plate thanks to a perfect strike by White to catcher Blaine McRay. That turned out to be even bigger after Moses eventually scored the go-ahead run for the Rams one batter later.
 
In the McM half of the ninth, Baker singled to leadoff the frame. TWU then went to the pen for their second reliever of the evening, Wade Regas. But Stokes greeted Regas with a single inside third base, with Baker stopping at second. McRay then  laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the winning run into scoring position. Kevin Garza was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up a potential force.
 
Speck then flared his single to left, with the runners on the move. Baker scored easily and, when McM thirdbase coach Brad Coleman saw that the TWU leftfielder was going to have trouble fielding the ball cleanly, he gave the green light to Stokes who rounded third and made a head-first slide home with the winning run.
 
Baker went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and was hit by a pitch.  Speck was 2-for-4 with a double and the two RBI.
 
TWU out-hit the War Hawks by a 10-9 margin for the night.