KERRVILLE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball continued its recent success at Schreiner on a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Texas Hill Country, winning both games of a non-conference double header to move above .500.
The War Hawks (17-16) dominated the first of two seven-inning games with an 11-1 victory. The second game started more competitive, but McMurry had more juice in the late frames to win 16-6 over Schreiner (12-20) to take the season series.
According to available records, McMurry has not hit more than two triples in a game since at least 2013. Today, the team hit seven triples – three in the opener and four in the night cap. The War Hawks now have 18 triples this season – one away from the single season record of 19 set in 2005.
The War Hawks scored double digit runs in both games – marking the seventh and eighth time this season.
With six games remaining in the regular season, McMurry is four wins away from matching its highest win total since 2016.
Game 1: McMurry 11, Schreiner 1
McMurry wasted no time going to work in the opener, tacking on two runs in the first frame and leading wire-to-wire in an 11-1 win.
With two outs and a runner on first, Josh Dyer lifted the lid with an RBI double to bring home Reed Hodges. Dyer came home in the next at-bat as Dylan Abbott singled him home. Abbott and Dyer would go on to add more damage in the third, but the first inning runs proved to be enough.
The War Hawks had strong pitching from sophomore Kaden Sebastian, junior Travis Beauchamp and senior Nick Hamel. Sebastian started the first three innings and allowed just three hits, but nothing else with a pair of strikeouts. Beauchamp went three innings and allowed just one run on three hits, while Hamel closed things out with one scoreless inning in the seventh.
In the third inning, Dyer hit a two-RBI triple to score Hodges and Blake Beach. Abbott once again singled home Dyer to make it 5-0. Beach would later come up in the sixth and score two more with a triple of his own. This brought home Christian Oliver and Javier Rosa to make it 7-0.
After the Mountaineers added a run in the sixth, McMurry tallied four runs in the seventh. McMurry's third triple of the day came off the bat of Blaze Rickerson, scoring Hamel and Xavier Escobar. Rosa accounted for the final two runs, doubling home Rickerson then scoring himself after stealing third and advancing home on an error by the catcher.
Beach, Dyer and Abbott had multi-hit games, while Hodges, Hamel, Escobar, Rickerson and Rosa all finished with one hit apiece. Oliver finished with two walks and a run scored.
Game 2: McMurry 16, Schreiner 6
The night cap started competitive, but the War Hawks scored nine unanswered runs and completed the two-game sweep with a 16-6 victory.
Both teams scored five runs in the third inning, but McMurry was able to rip away the lead in the fourth and retain it for good. The true dagger came in the sixth inning, as McMurry added six runs to put the game out of reach. Two more in the seventh added further insurance.
On the mound, McMurry used five pitchers. Making just his third appearance this season, freshman Titus Ashton picked up his first career win with 1.2 innings pitched. He allowed just two hits and two walks, but no runs. Dylan Schafer and Seth Parriette pitched scoreless innings after that, then Grayson Winter closed things out in the seventh.
The third inning scoring started with the first of four triples by the War Hawks – this one off the bat of Hamel – to make it 1-0. Dyer brought home Hamel with a single for the next run. Later, with the bases loaded, an outfield error brought home three more runs.
After Schreiner posted five in the bottom half, freshman Dylan Lee gave McMurry the lead back with an RBI triple to score Rosa. Lee scored on a single by Hamel after that, then sophomore Reid Brock came in to pinch hit and doubled home Hamel to make it 8-5.
The offense exploded in the sixth with six runs, starting with consecutive singles by Hodges, Dyer and Logan Mercer. Mercer's single brought home a run. He was followed by Tommy Cardenas, who came on to pinch hit and tripled home Mercer. Three more scored on wild pitches.
Mark Navarro subbed in to open the seventh inning, hitting a leadoff single and later scoring on a Logan Mercer triple. Mercer then scored again as Cardenas doubled him home. Cardenas led the way with a triple and a double.
Cardenas, Dyer, Mercer and Hamel had two-hit games, while Hodges, Rosa, Lee, Navarro, Escobar and Brock accounted for the other hits. Rosa and Dyer also stole a base.
On Deck
The War Hawks remain on the road this weekend as they begin a three-game set against Howard Payne. The series starts at 2 p.m. Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader set to start at 12 p.m.
