ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's baseball team allowed visiting University of Texas-Tyler to score in each of the first eight innings, suffering a 14-5 American Southwest Conference loss at Walt Driggers Field. The War Hawks fell to 7-14 overall (2-8 ASC), while the Patriots improved to 13-8 on the year (5-5 ASC).
 
The two teams provided plenty of action for the fans, offensively, combining for 34 hits.  UTT amassed 21 hits to 13 for McM. 
 
McMurry started Stephen Norrell (0-3) went the first 3.1 innings, surrendering 10 of the Patriots' hits.  Norrell was charged with six runs, five earned.  He struck out three and did not walk a batter.  Senior Benjamin Russell came on in relief in the fourth, also tossing 3.1 innings, also giving up six runs (one of which was unearned).
 
Matthew Bass threw 1.1 innings and was charged with two runs.  Hunter Brooks threw a scoreless ninth, striking out two.
 
The Patriots put three on the board in their first at-bats, adding solo runs in the second and third.  UTT put up another three-spot in the fourth, while again posting one run each in the fifth and sixth frames. UT Tyler scored twice each in the seventh and eighth innings.
 
The War Hawks posted a run in the first after a leadoff single from Mike Gonzales, taking second on a wild pitch.  Nick Hamel singled up the middle to plate Gonzales. In the third, Jordan Speck single to shortstop and, with one out, stole second. After a grounder for out number two, Matthew Chalk doubled to left to drive home Speck, cutting it to 5-2 at that time.
 
In the fourth, McM matched UTT with three runs. RBI singles from Hamel and Chris Baker, along with a run on a throwing error from the Patriots, accounted for the War Hawks scores.
 
Hamel and Payton Stokes both went 2-for-4 from the plate as the only War Hawks with multi-hit games. Hamel drove in two and scored once.
 
McMurry and UT-Tyler will play a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.) at Walt Driggers Field to close out the three-game series.