ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball hosted East Texas Baptist to open a three-game American Southwest Conference series Friday, falling in the first of three games by a 10-2 final at Walt Driggers Field.
McMurry (7-12, 4-9 ASC) remained in striking distance most of the way, but four runs in the ninth inning allowed the Tigers (15-6, 12-1 ASC) to secure the win and remain atop the conference standings through 13 games.
Freshman Dylan Abbott and sophomore Josh Dyer had the RBI hits for McMurry. Abbott singled home Blaze Rickerson in the second inning to make it 2-1, while Dyer brought in Reed Hodges to pull within three in the fifth inning.
The two squads combined for 20 hits – with McMurry tallying eight – in a competitive affair. The difference came in runners stranded, as the Tigers left just five on base. The War Hawks stranded 11 runners on the day, including four innings with two or more left on.
Rickerson and fellow freshman Koy Carpenter had two hits on the day. Blake Beach added a double, joining Dyer, Abbott and Hodges with one hit each.
The War Hawks are still alive to win the series and hope to rebound in a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m.
