ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball suffered a one-run setback Thursday evening at Walt Driggers Field, falling 6-5 to visiting Howard Payne University in a nonconference bout.

The War Hawks (2-2) scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, but the Yellow Jackets (1-5) rallied with two of their own in the top of the seventh, with the HPU bullpen keeping the War Hawks offense in check the final three innings.

McM got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth, a solo home run to left by senior outfielder Matt Chalk. Two batters later, the War Hawks went yard again, this time by senior catcher Blaine McRay to the same location.

Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Poe cruised through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth. After a walk to begin the inning, the next two batters reached on bunt singles to load the bases. Poe was pulled for right-hander Joseph Perez, and after a bases clearing double, he finished with a line of three earned runs on three hits in four plus innings, striking out two.

The Yellow Jackets tacked on another run on a sacrifice fly, but the War Hawks had an answer of their own. Sophomore first baseman Nick Hamel brought the War Hawks within one with a sac fly, followed by a double by junior designated hitter Sam Hillyer to put runners at second and third.

McRay delivered with a two-run single up the middle, giving McMurry the 5-4 lead. But the trend of scoring in alternating innings continued, as HPU tied the game on a balk with runners on the corners, and the proceeded to score the winning run on a sac fly.

Perez took the loss on the hill, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits over 2.1 innings. McRay finished 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs, while Chalk added two hits of his own with an RBI and two runs scored.

Both teams had eight hits in the game.

McMurry will travel to Howard Payne Saturday to conclude the three-game series, with the first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for noon.