BROWNWOOD, Texas – The McMurry University baseball team opened its three-game American Southwest Conference series on a sour note Friday, suffering a 19-4 loss at Don Shepard Park. The War Hawks (7-18, 2-11 ASC) and Yellow Jackets (16-11, 5-8 ASC) will play a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.) to complete the series.
 
Unfortunately for McMurry, the result was never much in doubt early, as HPU tallied 11 runs in the first two innings alone. The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the fourth and another six in the sixth, banging out 13 hits.
 
McM nearly matched HPU by collecting 12 hits, six of the extra-base variety. Tyler Jenkins crushed his team-leading ninth home run of the season, a solo shot to lead off the fifth inning. Kyle Keever had a triple. Payton Stokes had a pair of doubles, while Jenkins and Chris Baker each had one two-bagger.
 
Jenkins finished the game by going 3-for-5 with two runs and the run batted in. Senior catcher Blaine McRay was 2-for-3, also garnering a run and an RBI.  Stokes was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
War Hawks' starter Jack Poe (1-5) left after failing to get an out in the second inning, after three batters. Poe was charged with eight earned runs and five hits.
 
HPU's Blake Null tied an ASC record by slamming three home runs off the McM staff. Null touched up Poe once and reliever Chris Lewis twice, for his roundtrippers.