ABILENE, Texas – Things did not go as planned for McMurry Baseball in its home opener on Friday, as the team dropped a pair of tight contests to St. Thomas (Texas) at Walt Driggers Field.

McMurry (1-2-1) held a 3-0 lead in the first game, but six unanswered runs in the final two innings allowed the Celts (3-6) to take the opener. The nightcap had an opposite story, as the War Hawks nearly overcame a 10-0 deficit. The game ended with eight unanswered runs from McM, but in a 13-11 loss.

Tonight's doubleheader began a three game series for the two teams, which will be concluded at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME 1 RECAP

McMurry jumped out to a great start with junior Marty Carnahan getting the nod on the mound. Carnahan tossed five scoreless innings to open the contest, allowing his team to take a 3-0 lead on offense.

The seven inning showdown ended with six unanswered runs in the final two frames, allowing UST to earn its first road win. The Celts returned baseball in 2020 after a 51-year hiatus, last fielding a team in 1969.

For McMurry, the first run came via a dropped fly ball in left field, allowing freshman outfielder Caleb Shaw to cross unearned. Junior shortstop Javier Rosa added a run in the second, driving home freshman Cole Riser from third following a triple.

McMurry's third run came in the bottom of the fifth, as junior Sam Hillyer jacked a solo homer to left field. The homerun was his second of the season.

Carnahan ran into some trouble in the sixth, as McM skipper John Byington elected to move Hillyer from first base over to pitch. With one run scoring on a throwing error before the change, two more unearned runs crossed to tie the game thanks to a fielding error and an RBI single.

McMurry had something stirring in the bottom half, as a Riser single and a Rosa double put runners in scoring position with one out. After intentionally walking Hillyer to load the bases, UST tight-roped out of the inning with a lineout, stranding the go-ahead run on third and the bases loaded.

UST used that momentum in the seventh, taking the lead with a bases loaded walk. Later, McM traded a run for two outs on a Riser-Rosa-Keever double play. An RBI single brought home one more. A pair of two out singles in the bottom half brought McMurry's tying run to the plate, but a flyout ended the threat.

Pierce Taylor (1-0) picked up the win, while shortstop Jason Brown came in to close in the seventh for the save. Hillyer (1-2) took the decision for McM.

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GAME 2 RECAP

Offense was more prevalent in the nightcap, as UST carried its momentum over from the opener. The Celts scored 10 unanswered runs in the opening frames, including an eight-run second inning.

The War Hawks would not give up despite the early deficit, putting together 11 runs in a valiant comeback attempt. Trailing 13-3 in the fifth, McMurry scored eight unanswered runs before ultimate stranding the tying run at the plate to end it in the ninth.

While the offense worked itself back into the game, junior pitcher Matthew Bass twirled a career best relief appearance. Bass led the staff with 4.2 scoreless innings, striking out six with just one walk allowed. Prior to Bass, sophomore Seth Parriette tossed 2.2. innings and allowed three runs (one earned) with five strikeouts.

In that game, junior Ryan Potter and senior Kyle Strickland wielded the hot bats with three hits each. Both men, along with Hillyer, drove in a pair of runs. One of Potter's hits happened to be a solo bomb to left field, marking his first homerun in a McMurry uniform.

Strickland started the eight-run rally, as the senior doubled home a run and later scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, junior Jonah Bailey ripped a double to left field to bring home Rosa.

The momentum carried over into the sixth, as Potter clubbed a solo shot to send the crowd into a frenzy. Strickland returned to the plate, singling home Kyle Keever to make it 13-8. Later in the inning, sophomore Christian Oliver pinch hit an RBI single for his first career base knock. The single scored Trent Lee, cutting the deficit to four runs.

The ninth inning saw more trouble, as Hillyer doubled in Jonah Bailey with a roper down the left field line. Bailey ran all the way from first base, tumbling into home to make it a three run game. Freshman Mitch Carnahan, who had his first career hit in his first collegiate at-bat earlier, reached on a clutch fielding error to keep the game alive and score Hillyer from third.

With Carnahan later moving up to second base, UST pitcher Ryan Kubosh recorded the final out via a swinging strikeout. He picked up the save (1), while reliever Caleb Desilets (1-0) was deemed the winning pitcher. Senior Chris Lewis (0-1) started for the War Hawks and took the loss.

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ON DECK

The series finale is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. as McMurry looks to salvage the series.