Box Score TYLER, Texas – McMurry University's baseball team found the going rough versus the nation's No. 5 ranked team, the University of Texas at Tyler, in a 15-6 setback at Irwin Field. The War Hawks fell to 12-23 (6-13 ASC) in the series-opening loss to the Patriots, who improved to 29-5 (17-2 ASC).
The two teams remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning. McM's first batter that inning, junior firstbaseman
Chris Baker, slugged a 1-0 pitch over the leftfield fence for his second home run of the season and giving the War Hawks a 1-0 lead.
In its half of the fourth, UTT forged ahead, 2-1. But McM answered back in the top of the fifth frame.
Robert White drew a leadoff walk and, with one out, advanced to third on wild pitches.
Tyler Jenkins struck out swinging for the second out of the inning.
That brought Baker to the plate with the chance to again help the War Hawks' cause. Baker delivered a 1-1 single through the left side, with White easily trotting home to knot the game at 2-2.
Unfortunately for the War Hawks, the nationally-ranked Patriots did most of the offensive damage after that point. UTT had five in the fifth, one in the sixth, four in the seventh and three in the eighth to break the game open.
Trailing 8-2 heading into the seventh, McMurry did make a late charge at the Patriots.
Jordan Speck,
Robert White and
Matthew Chalk had consecutive singles to load the bases. Jenkins lifted a fly ball to right, deep enough to permit Speck to come home on the sacrifice fly. Baker then delivered his team-leading 13th double, driving in two more runs to make it 8-5.
Baker had a nice game, going 3-for-3 with a run, walking once and driving in four runs. White (2-for-4) and Chalk (2-for-5), both had multi-hit games as the War Hawks' 1-2 batters. Speck was also 2-for-4.
Sophomore pitcher
Juan Valadez (4-5) absorbed the loss for McMurry. Valadez went 4.0 innings, but could not get an out in the fifth. He allowed eight hits and seven earned runs, with three relievers giving up the balance of the runs to UTT.
