Box Score
MARSHALL, Texas - McMurry University's baseball team lost the opening game of its American Southwest Conference series at East Texas Baptist University, falling 17-8 at Woods Field. The War Hawks fell to 11-18 (5-8 ASC), while the Tigers improved to 19-10 (10-3 ASC).
Trailing 1-0 after two innings, McMurry jumped all over the Tigers in the top of the third by posting five runs.
Kevin Garza singled to left to open the frame. That brought up
Robert White, who slapped a double down the leftfield line to drive in Garza and tie the contest at 1-1. Then, with one out,
Tyler Jenkins smashed his fifth homerun of the year over the leftfield fence to make the score 3-1.
That brought up
Chris Baker, who followed with a double down the leftfield line.
Payton Stokes grounded out, to bring
Matthew Chalk to the plate. Chalk then belted a homer to left, as well, as the War Hawks took a 5-1 advantage. It was Chalk's third round-tripper of the season.
The Tigers responded with some offensive punch of their own. ETBU crossed the plate twice in the bottom of the third, scored three in the fourth and – after McM got an unearned run in the top of the fifth – put a four-spot on the board in the bottom half of the inning. ETBU added another in the sixth to take an 11-6 lead.
McM starter
Juan Valadez (3-4) went four innings and, after receiving a warning for hitting a batter, was ejected in the fifth after another batter hit by a pitch. Valadez also struck out four and walked three before exiting.
Mike Gonzales got two out in the fifth, but was tagged for three runs before
Aaron Donald got the final out of the fifth. McM's next two hurlers would give up nine runs.
In the seventh, McMurry's Jenkins drew a two-out walk. Baker then laced his team-leading 11th double to drive home Jenkins, 11-7. The Tigers, however, came back with a pair of runs in their half of the seventh to expand the deficit for McM to 13-7. Four more by ETBU in the bottom of the eighth made it the 17-7.
With two down in the ninth, Jenkins unloaded and hit his second homer of the game – and team-leading sixth of the season – to make it the 17-8 final score.
Baker was 3-for-4 on the day with the two doubles. Baker scored twice and drove in one run. Jenkins was 2-for-4 with the two long balls, scoring three times and driving in three.
Clarkson was also 2-for-4 in the loss.
The two teams will close the series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
