ABILENE, Texas – The long ball proved to be the enemy of the McMurry University baseball team on Saturday in the team's doubleheader loss to the University of Texas-Tyler – 8-4 and 6-4 – at Walt Driggers Field. In both ends of the twinbill, the War Hawks (7-17, 2-11 ASC) gave up homeruns in the final inning that proved to be the difference in each versus the Patriots (15-8, 7-5 ASC).
 
In the opener, McM found itself down 3-0 after three innings. An RBI single from Matthew Chalk, coupled with taking advantage of a pair of Patriots errors, helped McM to take a 4-3 lead in the fourth frame of what was supposed to be a seven-inning contest.
 
UTT tied the game in the fifth when McM starter Jack Poe gave up a solo homer.  Poe would not figure in the decision, going 6.0 innings, scattering eight hits and giving up four runs.
 
With neither team able to generate any runs, the game became elongated, stretching to the eleventh inning. Tyler Jenkins (1-2) took over on the mound in the seventh and had four scoreless frames under his belt entering the eleventh.
 
After getting the first out, however, Jenkins gave up a triple, walked two batters. Then, with two down, UTT's Blake Maddox belted a grand slam home run to provide the difference in the 8-4 final score.
 
McM catcher Blaine McRay and centerfielder Kevin Garza each went 3-for-4, the only McM players with more than one hit. McRay had a double among his hits, as well.
 
In the night cap, the War Hawks scored a run in the first on an RBI double from Chris Baker. In the second, a two-run double from Kevin Garza helped McM jump ahead 3-0. But UTT tapped War Hawks starter Brooks Shearer for four runs in the fifth as the visitors regained the lead.
 
In the top of the seventh – and final – inning, the Patriots Alex Bishop belted a two-run homer to make it 6-3.  When McMurry's Jenkins slugged his team-leading seventh homer in the bottom of the seventh, UTTs long ball became the decider.
 
Baker finished the game by going 3-for-3. Garza was 1-for-4 with two RBI.