BROWNWOOD, Texas -  McMurry University's baseball team split it's Sunday doubleheader at Howard Payne University's Don Shepard Park. The War Hawks (8-19, 3-12 ASC) lost the opener to the Yellow Jackets (17-12, 6-9 ASC), 14-5, and bounced back to salvage game two, 8-7.
 
In game one, and for the second game versus HPU, the McMurry team found itself down big early, as the host built an 11-0 lead after three innings. The Yellow Jackets tallied five in the second and six in the third, giving McM a huge mountain to climb.
 
But attempt to climb back they did, behind the efforts of shortstop Devin Molina. With one out in the fourth, Payton Stokes singled and, after Kevin Garza struck out, Jordan Speck drew a walk, to bring Molina to the plate. Molina – making his first career start for the War Hawks – laced a double to left-centerfield that plated both Stokes and Speck.  Molina would score on a grounder to second by Mike Gonzales, that was booted for an HPU error, making it 11-3.
 
In the fifth inning, it was time for some more Molina magic. Chris Baker led off with a single and then, with two out, Garza reached on an error at third. Speck walked to load the bases. Molina drilled an offering from HPU reliever Wesley Smith down the leftfield line, bringing in both Baker and Garza and getting his team to within an 11-5 margin.
 
But that would be as close as the War Hawks would get.  The Yellow Jackets added two in their half of the fifth and one in the sixth for the 14-5 final score.
 
Molina finished game one going 2-for-4, scoring once and with four runs batted in. In all, the War Hawks had five hits as a team.
 
Brooks Shearer took the loss for McMurry. Shearer (0-3) went 2.0 innings, gave up four hits and was charged with seven runs (five earned). He walked five and hit one batter.
 
But the second game of the day saw McMurry jump out of the blocks with the big lead early. After 2 ½ frames, the War Hawks led 7-1 and 8-3 through 3 ½, before holding off a Yellow Jacket rally.
 
In the second inning alone, McM sent 11 batters to the plate and produced five runs. With one out, Baker was hit by a pitch, followed by a Stokes hit and Noah Clarkson walk to load the bases. Robert White then doubled down the leftfield line, scoring two. Leadoff batter Kyle Keever also doubled, scoring Clarkson and Keever. Molina's RBI single brought home Keever with the War Hawks' fifth run.
 
HPU got a run back in its half of the second. McM tallied two in the third on RBI singles from Clarkson and Tyler Jenkins, with the Yellow Jackets matching that in the bottom of the third, making it 7-3.
 
In the top of the fourth, the War Hawks scored what would prove to be the winning run. Blaine McRay opened with a single and advanced to third on Baker's single to right. Two batters later, Clarkson again delivered with a single through the left side of the infield that allowed McRay to score to make it 8-3.
 
HPU got to McM starter Stephen Norrell for four runs in the fourth. Norrell exited after 3.2 innings, charged with seven runs (five earned) and five strikeouts.
 
With the score 8-7, and the tying run on third, Rody Johnson (1-0) came on to record the third out by striking out Blake Null. Johnson – who earned the victory – threw two more scoreless innings, permitting just one hit and striking out three.
 
The War Hawks' bullpen was stellar. In addition to Johnson's performance, Matthew Bass had two shutout innings in the seventh and eighth, striking out a pair of Yellow Jackets. Jenkins came on to toss a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.
 
Keever had the big game in the nightcap, going 3-for-6 with a run and two RBI. McRay and Clarkson were both 2-for-4. Clarkson scored twice and drove in two runs.