LONGVIEW, Texas – After McMurry University Baseball won its series opener at LeTourneau on Friday, the YellowJackets bounced back with two close wins in a Saturday doubleheader to steal back the series in Longview.

The first game of the twinbill ended with a walk-off in the seventh inning – giving LETU a 5-4 win. The War Hawks also fell behind late in the rubber match, slipping in a 5-3 defeat.

The War Hawks drop to a 7-9 overall record and are 4-8 in American Southwest Conference games. The YellowJackets gained some ground on McMurry with their wins, moving to 5-11 overall and 3-9 in the ASC.
 

Game 1: LETU 5, McMurry 4 (7 innings)

The Saturday lid-lifter saw McMurry take a slim lead in the third inning, which ended up carrying all the way until the seventh at 4-2. From there, LETU scored three straight runs to win in walk-off fashion.

Nick Hamel – who has 21 hits in the last 11 games – started things off with an RBI single to bring around Reed Hodges. LETU then tied things up in the bottom half, but McMurry regained the advantage with another Hamel single. Freshman Dylan Lee also singled home a run with two outs and the bases loaded, but a throw out at the plate ended the threat at 3-1.

Fast forwarding to the sixth inning, McM clang to a 3-2 lead. Leadoff man Blake Beach had two runners on and one out, hitting a sac fly to center to bring home Xavier Escobar after he stole third. McMurry used the combined efforts of Kaden Sebastian and Hamel on the mound to stand two runners in the bottom half, keeping the slim lead heading to the seventh.

The YellowJackets began to rally from there, reaching two leadoff runners on a single and a walk. A double to left center brought home a run after that, then the next hitter was intentionally walked to load the bases. A wild pitch brought home the tying run, then a single by Jaggar Vaughn brought home the winning run.

Despite the loss, McMurry had a strong day from senior pitcher Marty Carnahan. He twirled 5.0 innings with just two runs allowed – one of which was earned – with just three hits against him. He worked around five walks but struck out three in a no-decision.
 

Game 2: LETU 5, McMurry 3

Roles were reversed in the series finale, as LETU scored one run in the second and the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. The War Hawks were finally able to crack the board with runs in the sixth and seventh to tie it, but a three-run homer by LETU's Dane Jones in the seventh proved to be enough in a 5-3 win.

The War Hawks matched the YellowJackets with seven hits, but the three-run shot stood out as the difference.

McMurry had a slow start offensively, but were kept around by sophomore Jonathan Enriquez on the mound. He finished a quality start, giving up just two runs over 6.0 innings of work. He scattered five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Freshman Blaze Rickerson cut the deficit in half with a sixth inning solo homer for the team's first run – his first homer as a War Hawk. In the seventh with runners in scoring position, Escobar ripped an infield single to reach and score a run. LETU was able to strand two on base to keep it tied 2-2.

Needing three runs in the final two innings, McMurry began to rally in the ninth. Koy Carpenter, Dylan Abbott and Escobar all drew walks to load the bases with one out, bringing in LETU's Landon Stocks in relief. The new pitcher allowed one to cross on a wild pitch, but picked up the tab and earned the save.

Blake Beach and Josh Dyer each had two hits with the latter hitting a single and a double.
 

On Deck

The War Hawks will look to bounce back at home Tuesday, March 8 as they welcome Schriener to Walt Driggers Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Abilene.