JACKSON, Miss. – McMurry University Baseball completed its first American Southwest Conference series win Friday afternoon, when the War Hawks split their doubleheader at Belhaven University. McMurry lost game one, 1-0, before winning game two, 5-4, in extra innings.
The War Hawks host Trinity University Tuesday at 2 p.m. before closing out the regular season at Walt Driggers Field April 26-27 against the University of the Ozarks.
Belhaven 1, McMurry 0
The Blazers manufactured a run in the fifth on a sacrifice bunt, and that was all that was needed as they defeated the War Hawks by the slimmest of margins in game one.
Right-hander Derek Hostas game McMurry its second strong pitching performance of the series, tossing all six innings. He allowed just the one earned run on four hits while striking out four. A dozen of the outs recorded were flyouts.
McMurry mustered just three hits in the game, all singles. They left a runner in scoring position in the third fourth and fifth innings.
McMurry 5, Belhaven 4 (10 inn.)
Second baseman Jordan Speck drove in shortstop Payton Stokes with an RBI single in the 10th inning for the game winning run as McMurry won its first extra-inning game of the year. Stokes reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to third on a single to center by catcher Reed Hodges before Speck delivered the game-winning hit.
The War Hawks held a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the eighth, but three singles and a groundout brought the Blazers back to tie the game.
McMurry scored a run in the first inning when right fielder Mike Gonzales drove in Speck on a sac fly. The score would remain that way until the fourth, when the War Hawks tallied two more runs on a RBI single by centerfielder Josh Jimenez and an RBI single by Stokes.
Jimenez would add another RBI single in the top of the eighth to give McMurry a 4-0 lead, before the Blazers tied it in the bottom half.
Righty Juan Valadez was stellar on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits with two strikeouts. J.T. Barnes came on in relief in the eighth inning to end the Blazer rally, and finished with three scoreless frames to collect the win. He allowed two hits while striking out a pair.
Jimenez and Stokes led the charge at the plate with two hits apiece. Each scored once, and Jimenez drove in two and Stokes one. Third baseman Sam Hillyer scored twice, notching one hit.
