KERRVILLE, Texas – McMurry Baseball finished its season opening series with a rare three-game split, as the War Hawks finished with an 8-6 win and a 13-13 draw against Schreiner in Kerrville, Texas on Saturday.
After dropping its season opener in heartbreaking fashion on Friday afternoon, the War Hawks (1-1-1) leveled the series with a win in Game 2 of the series. The rubber match capped Saturday's double header and the series, but ended in a no-decision through seven innings due to a lack of daylight.
McMurry had the offense going all series long with 31 total runs. The War Hawks also finished the series with six triples, which is more than the team had all of last season with four.
GAME 2 RECAP
In a game scheduled for seven innings, the War Hawks and Mountaineers took a 4-4 tie into the final frames and failed to score. In the eighth inning, McMurry rattled off four runs to take the lead and later held off a surging Schreiner to win in thrilling fashion.
With one out and runners on the corners, one of which was the tying run at first base, Schreiner's Chance Goins flew out to right field. Attempting to score via sacrifice fly, Schreiner's Jeffrey Williams was gunned down at the plate for the final out by Chase Stearns and tagged by pitcher Sam Hillyer.
Hillyer (1-1) picked up the win for McMurry, pitching 2.2 innings of relief with two runs allowed on four hits. Jack Hakala (0-1) took the loss with four runs allowed in the eighth.
Hillyer was also a key component at the plate, finishing 2-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and three RBI. His solo homer served as McMurry's first run, splitting a 2-0 deficit in half during the fourth inning.
McMurry added three unanswered runs in the sixth to take the 4-2 lead, as catcher Reed Hodges knocked home a pair of runs with a triple. He would later score on a single from freshman Cole Riser, which served as Riser's first collegiate hit and RBI.
After a two-RBI double tied things in the bottom half, Hillyer held off the Mountaineers and sent things to the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single, Hillyer struck out three straight hitters to send it to extra innings.
Junior Javier Rosa broke the tie with a one-out double, bringing home Hodges and Trent Lee to make it 6-4. Two at-bats later, Hillyer helped his own cause with a two-run double to score Rosa and Kyle Keever.
Hillyer went on to close the game, earning the first win of the season.
For the game, Hodges, Rosa and junior Ryan Potter each had two hits to join Hillyer. Both of Hodges' hits were triples.
GAME 3 RECAP
The offense came to play in the rubber match, as McMurry scored 11 runs in the first three innings of the nightcap. Schreiner answered with a seven-run fourth inning and later tied the game in the sixth. Neither team would score in the seventh, as the game ended due to darkness.
Three was the magic number for Sam Hillyer in the nightcap, as he continued his big day by finishing 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs and three RBI. Hillyer also walked twice, never failing to get on base.
Senior Justin Kutz also had a big game in the nightcap, leading the way in hits with a 4-for-5 day. Kutz had a leadoff triple in the third and went on to finish with two runs and two RBI.
There was no pitching decision with the draw, but the War Hawks' best arm was freshman right-hander Austin Arey. The Rowlett, Texas native pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit with no runs. His appearance preserved the draw in the final two frames.
A four-run first inning started McMurry off with a spark, as the inning began with a Javier Rosa walk. He stole second base and later scored on a Hillyer single. Kutz also drove in two runs in the frame. The War Hawks went on to take an 11-1 lead in the top of the third with seven more runs.
A three-run second inning was highlighted by Hillyer's RBI triple, an RBI single by junior transfer Ryan Potter and an RBI double by junior Kyle Keever.
Freshman outfielder Chase Stearns singled home a run in the fourth and was later brought in on a Hillyer single. Keever followed up the previous inning's double with another double, bringing in Hillyer. Keever and Stearns each finished with two hits, one run and two RBI.
The War Hawks scored one run each in the fourth and fifth, as sophomore Ethan Schmidt doubled home Kutz in the fourth and a Stearns single allowed Trent Lee to score in the fifth.
ON DECK
The War Hawks will play their home opener on Friday, Feb. 14 against St. Thomas (Houston) to open a three-game series. Friday will be a doubleheader with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
