JACKSON, Miss. – Coming off its three-game sweep of nationally-ranked UT Dallas, McMurry University Baseball traveled further east this weekend to start a three-game set against Belhaven University at Trustmark Park in Jackson, Miss.
The series started with a Friday doubleheader, as McMurry extended its win streak to four games with a 4-1 win in the opener. The nightcap would go in favor of the Blazers despite four unanswered runs from the War Hawks, 6-4.
McMurry out-hit Belhaven in both games, finishing with an 18-11 overall advantage. McMurry also played flawless defense in the first game, recording no errors.
The War Hawks are now 12-14 overall and 9-11 in the American Southwest Conference, while Belhaven moves to 14-11 and 12-8, respectively.
Game 1: McMurry 4, Belhaven 1
The War Hawks had another brilliant outing from reigning ASC Co-Pitcher of the Week Derek Hostas, who dished out a complete game victory in the seven inning game. He finished 7.0 full with one run on six hits and a walk. He struck out eight batters and threw 102 pitches.
Making his triumphant return to the lineup was senior Nick Hamel, who went 4-for-4 in his first offensive game since March 18. He drove home two runs and fell a home run short of a cycle with two singles, a double and a triple.
Hamel started the scoring in the opening frame, bringing home sophomore shortstop Blake Beach after he singled and stole second base. Hamel's hit was a double into left.
Belhaven evened it up in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, but the tie did not last long. Koy Carpenter ended a three-hit parade with an RBI single to score Dylan Abbott, making it 2-1. This would be enough for Hostas to work with on the mound – earning the win with no more runs crossing.
McMurry tacked on two insurance runs later, including a fifth-inning double by Abbott to bring in Hamel. Hamel then hit a triple in the seventh frame, scoring Reed Hodges.
Hostas allowed a one-out single, but nothing else in the seventh to finish off the win.
Hamel and Abbott both had multi-hit games, while Carpenter, Beach, Hodges and Javier Rosa had a singular hit. Rosa was also hit by a pitch, reaching in all but one plate appearance.
Game 2: Belhaven 6, McMurry 4
The Blazers stormed back to even the series with a six run second inning in the nightcap. Although McMurry added four runs late in the contest, Belhaven was able to hold on.
Coming in relief for the third inning, reigning D3baseball.com Team of the Week selection Travis Beauchamp had an incredible outing with no runs and two hits allowed over 5.2 innings. More impressively, he had just one walk and 10 strikeouts against 23 batters.
The War Hawks tallied one run in the fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth innings. Three of the four runs came on multi-base hits, starting with Josh Dyer's left field double to score Hodges. A throwing error brought home Xavier Escobar in the fifth, pulling the team a bit closer.
After a two-inning dry spell for McMurry, Hodges and Hamel hit back-to-back doubles to cut into the lead. Hamel would be left on third by the inning's end, proving costly later on. The ninth had even more dramatics, including an RBI triple by Escobar to bring home Abbott.
After Abbott scored to make it 6-4, Belhaven went to the pen for closer Luke Miller. The freshman stranded the tying run on base, tying the series for Belhaven.
Despite the loss, McMurry out-hit BU 8-5, including two hits, two walks and two runs scored by Hodges. Carpenter, Dyer, Abbott, Escobar and Blaze Rickerson had the other hits.
On Deck
Saturday's rubber match is set for 1 p.m. at Trustmark Park.
