ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball was unable to finish off its series against LeTourneau at Walt Driggers Field on Saturday, dropping both games of a doubleheader to drop two out of three in an American Southwest Conference series.
After winning a 5-4 thriller last night, LeTourneau earned a 5-1 win to even the series. The YellowJackets (7-10, 5-4 ASC) followed it up with a seven-run comeback in the rubber match, handing McMurry (2-11, 1-8 ASC) a heartbreaking 8-7 loss in the finale.
Game 1: LeTourneau 5, McMurry 1 (7 innings)
LeTourneau used an early three-run advantage to even the series, totaling eight hits while limiting McMurry to one run on two hits.
After a single turned into three bases following an error in the outfield, LeTourneau's Weston McKinley drove home the first run of the day with an RBI triple in the second inning. LETU added one more in the second and one more in the third.
Javier Rosa had the lone hit for McMurry up until the fifth inning when senior Mike Gonzales doubled to net a leadoff base runner. Rosa moved him over to third with a groundout in the next at-bat, allowing a two-out error to score him.
LeTourneau added two insurance runs in the sixth to cap off a near-perfect start for Kolbey Sharp on the mound – who pitched all seven innings with no earned runs allowed. McMurry's Kaden Sebastian and Matthew Bass each pitched three innings, scattering four earned runs while combining for four strikeouts.
Pitchers of record:
W – Kolbey Sharp (2-1)
L – Kaden Sebastian (0-3)
Game 2: LeTourneau 8, McMurry 7
The War Hawks had the bats working in game two with a season high 14 hits, taking an early 7-1 lead by the fifth inning. Unfortunately, LeTourneau also had the offense going with 10 hits of its own, rallying back with seven runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to secure the win.
Following a two-out bases loaded walk to Javier Rosa in the bottom of the ninth, McMurry had the tying and go-ahead runs standing in scoring position. In the next at-bat, a pitch in the dirt allowed runners to move up, but a miscue on the base paths led to a hectic finish as LETU's third baseman made the final tag to end it.
Rosa and Sam Hillyer each had three hit days, while Nick Hamel and Mike Gonzales added a pair. Rosa was the big story though, hitting his first career homer in the fourth inning.
Sam Hillyer and Nick Hamel each had RBI singles in the first and second inning, respectively, to bring home the first three runs of the game. After LETU answered with one in the third, Rosa jacked a two-run homer to score Kyle Strickland and himself to make it a 5-1 game.
One of the hottest bats in the lineup, senior Ryan Potter came up in the fifth inning and also hit a two-run homer, making it 7-1.
Hamel was the starting pitcher, twirling 6.0 strong innings only blemished by the early RBI single and a three-run homer in the sixth inning. LETU found the final runs it needed in the seventh and eighth, allowing Dane Jones to tightrope out of the ninth with the save.
Pitchers of record:
W – Austin Bryan (1-0)
L – Travis Beauchamp (1-2)
S – Dane Jones (1)
On deck:
The War Hawks are on the road for their next series as they face East Texas Baptist in Marshall, Texas on March 26 at 7 p.m.
