ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball scored 10 unanswered runs while trailing by double digits against University of the Ozarks, but the Eagles withstood the rally to win the rubber match of the three-game set Monday in Abilene, 14-12.
With the win, Ozarks took two of three in a competitive American Southwest Conference series decided by just four total runs. The Eagles move to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the ASC, while McMurry slips to 5-7 and 3-6, respectively.
The game started as a low-scoring affair, as the Eagles led 3-1 after five innings. McMurry struck first just three at-bats in, as Nick Hamel continued his hot streak with an RBI single to score Blake Beach. The Ozarks went on to tally two in the second and one in the third.
The sixth inning is where things began to turn, as Ozarks plated eight runs to take a commanding 11-1 lead. Four of the eight runs came on a Dru Didway grand slam. In the bottom half, Hamel added another run for the War Hawks to make it 11-2, once again scoring Beach on an RBI single.
Three more crossed for the Ozarks in the seventh to make it 14-2 – forcing McMurry into rally mode the remainder of the way.
The War Hawks answered to the tune of 10 runs – five in the seventh and five in the eighth – in an improbable comeback attempt, but could not score any in the ninth to fall 14-12. In the 10 run rally, seven runs scored on homers – a three run blast by Beach and a grand slam by junior college transfer Josh Dyer.
Beach did his damage in the seventh and was followed by another Hamel RBI single to score Reed Hodges. Hamel later crossed on a sac fly by Rickerson. McMurry put ducks on the pond once again in the eighth, as Hamel returned to the plate and drew a bases loaded walk after pitcher Joshua Ropple ran out of time to throw.
Down 14-8 with two outs and the bases still full, Dyer swung on the first pitch and drilled it over the left field fence for his first homer as a War Hawk. After that, Ozarks buckled down and retired four straight over the next 1.1 innings to close it out.
Hamel extended his hitting streak to seven games and finished the weekend batting 9-for-13 with seven runs driven in, two doubles and a walk while only striking out once. He's now slashing .429/.481/.531 on the season.
Dyer also finished with a three-hit day – his first three hits of the season as he made his McMurry debut on Sunday.
McMurry was limited to one hit after five innings, but began tacking on with seven in a row in the seventh inning. Freshman Dylan Lee started it with a single for his first collegiate hit, then was moved over on a bunt single by Koy Carpenter. This set up Beach for the three run homer. The hits continue to pour in after that, as Hodges doubled, then Hamel singled him in. Dyer had the final single in that span. Ozarks snapped the streak with an out, but it was a productive one for McMurry as Rickerson flied in a run.
Freshman Titus Ashton was the most effective reliever for McMurry, making his collegiate debut with 1.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. Braxton Briones finished off the final 0.2 innings with a pair of outs. Jonathan Enriquez started and pitched 5.0 innings and nearly took a quality start into the six.
McMurry will play its fourth game in three days as it welcomes Southwestern for a non-conference tilt Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Walt Driggers Field.
