ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball rewrote a piece of history Friday at Walt Driggers Field, breaking the single season team record for triples while defeating Concordia Texas to open a three-game American Southwest Conference set, 12-9.
McMurry (21-16, 15-13 ASC) accomplished many things with Friday's win, starting with a third inning triple from senior Reed Hodges to extend a long hitting streak and on-base streak while breaking the program's single season record of 19 triples set in 2005. The 2022 now has 20 three-baggers this season.
Hodges triple also sparked a rally when his team needed it most – trailing 7-1 after two explosive innings from Concordia (14-21, 13-15 ASC). Hodges later came around to score, as the team rallied for 10 runs over three frames en route to a come-from-behind victory.
The win also gives McMurry some cushion in the ASC standings as they take a two-game lead over Concordia and keep pace with Mary Hardin-Baylor in a tie for fourth place. Both teams own a 15-13 record heading into Saturday. McMurry owns the tiebreaker after taking two of three from the Cru earlier this season.
The War Hawks also extend its win streak to six games – the longest current win streak in the conference.
Despite seven early runs against him, senior ace Derek Hostas remained composed on the mound and finished 5.0 complete innings. He earned the win in his final regular season start leaving the fifth inning with a 9-8 deficit.
The McMurry offense helped their senior pitcher out with three runs in the bottom half, putting him in line for the win. This brought on junior reliever Travis Beauchamp, who pitched 4.0 shutout frames for his third save this season. The duo combined for nine strikeouts.
McMurry's first run came from leadoff man Blake Beach, who jacked a solo shot to left-center to make it a 2-1 game in the first. CTX tacked on five runs in the second, but McMurry began to wake up in the middle innings.
Nick Hamel – the league leader in batting average – hit a ground rule double to score Hodges. Josh Dyer followed him with a two-run bomb to make it 7-4. CTX added a run in the fourth to double up the War Hawks, but a four-run fourth inning retied the game at 8-8.
The four run rally started with a bunt single from Koy Carpenter, who slid in safely and advanced to second on a throwing error. This also allowed two runs to score. Beach then hit an RBI single to bring in Carpenter, then Beach scored on a wild pitch a few at-bats later.
An RBI walk by the Tornados with the bases loaded made it 9-8, but Hostas worked out of the inning and stranded the bases full with a pair of strikeouts. This allowed Xavier Escobar to tie the game with one swing of the bat, homering to make it 9-9.
The go-ahead run came in exciting fashion, as Carpenter faked a bunt and swung a chopper over a charging third baseman to bring in Blaze Rickerson. For insurance, Javier Rosa scored on a wild pitch in the fifth and again in the seventh on a sac fly from Beach.
Beach, Rosa and Carpenter had three-hit days. Beach fell a triple short of the cycle with a homer, double and single while also tacking on the sac fly. Rosa was flawless at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three singles, three runs scored and a walk. Carpenter drove in three runs.
Rickerson had a two-hit day, while Escobar and Dyer had homers for their lone hits. Hodges added his triple to extend a 22-game hitting streak and 30-game on-base streak, while Hamel had one hit – the ground rule double.
Both teams totaled 15 hits on the day.
The series concludes tomorrow with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. McMurry will honor nine seniors in between games with a special ceremony.
