SHERMAN, Texas – McMurry University baseball jumped out to an early five-run lead, but could not maintain it in a 16-9 non-conference loss at Austin College. The War Hawks fell to 8-20 overall, while the Kangaroos improved to 11-11.
 
The game had hopeful beginnings for the McM squad, jumping out to a 6-1 lead.  The patient War Hawks' batters took advantage of the wildness of AC starter Colin Maynard, who walked eight and had five wild pitches – allowing just two hits – in his 1.1 innings of work.
 
Unfortunately for McMurry, the Kangaroos jumped on starter Matthew Bass form six runs and Juan Valadez, the second of McM's six hurlers, for another five as the hosts took an 11-6 leads through four innings.
 
The War Hawks managed a single run in the fifth and two in the eighth. Austin added three in the fifth and two in the sixth for the 16-9 final.
 
McM secondbaseman Devin Molina led the offense with a 2-for-5 game, including a double as his team's only extra-base hit out of nine as a group. Molina also had a run scored and one run batted in.
 
Tyler Jenkins went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI. Noah Clarkson also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Nick Hamel was 0-for-4, but had two RBI.
 
A quartet of War Hawks – Kyle Keever, Matthew Chalk, Chris Baker and Payton Stokes – each drew three walks. In all, Kangaroo hurlers issued 14 bases on balls, with just two strikeouts.  Conversely, then McMurry pitchers walked five and struck out seven, led by four "K's" from Jack Poe.
 
The War Hawks will return to American Southwest Conference play this weekend. McM will host East Texas Baptist in a three-game series at Walt Driggers Field, beginning with a single game Friday evening (7 p.m.).