ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University Baseball squared off with crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons to start a three-game American Southwest Conference series Friday, rallying with seven runs in the eighth inning to win 10-5 at Walt Driggers Field.
The War Hawks (14-15, 10-12 ASC) lead after the first inning, but slipped behind after a three-run homer by Weston Hickman in the second frame. The Cowboys (15-12, 9-10 ASC) led nearly the whole way after that, but McMurry stormed back in the eighth inning to take the lead.
Junior reliever Travis Beauchamp was dominant for a third straight outing, finishing things off in the ninth to earn his first win of the season. Beauchamp completed 2.0 innings with just one hit allowed, but nothing else, while striking out three.
In the last three games, Beauchamp has thrown 10.2 innings of scoreless baseball. In that span, he's allowed just one walk and three hits with 15 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the McMurry offense piled on the hits, but didn't have much to show for it until late. On the other side, HSU clang to five early runs scored in the first three innings despite less production. McMurry finished with a noteworthy 14-3 advantage in the hit column.
Seniors Reed Hodges and Nick Hamel were the offensive catalysts, totaling four hits each. Hamel had a flawless day, going 4-for-4 with three singles, a double and a sacrifice fly. Hodges finished 4-for-5 with four singles and two runs, helping his team add some late insurance in the eighth.
Hamel's sac fly came in the first inning, scoring Blake Beach for the game's first run. Later, Reed Hodges would come in on a wild pitch, reaching on a single down the right field line, stealing second, then moving to third on Hamel's flyout.
HSU would then take the lead with four runs in the second, but senior Javier Rosa answered the call with an RBI double to score Xavier Escobar. In the next at-bat, Rosa would be thrown out at home by Hickman as Koy Carpenter nearly tied the game with a single. This out would end the frame.
The Cowboys added one more in the third for a 5-3 lead, forcing starter Derek Hostas to work from behind. The senior ace had a strong day outside of the homer, completing 7.0 innings with three earned runs allowed. He allowed just two hits and two walks, coming into form in the middle innings to finish with seven strikeouts and a pickoff.
Beauchamp entered in the eighth and continued what Hostas left for him, keeping HSU off the board, which allowed McMurry to rally back. It all started after a leadoff walk to Dylan Abbott and a hit-by-pitch taken by Xavier Escobar. Blaze Rickerson moved the runners over with a sac bunt, but an errant throw allowed him to reach and score Abbott from third
The tying run came home on a fielder's choice, as Carpenter grounded one to second and beat out a potential double play while scoring Escobar in the process. Rickerson later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, sliding home safely on a bang-bang play.
Hodges then had his fourth hit of the day with an infield chopper, beating out a throw from third and scoring Carpenter. Hodges then came in on a double to left center by Hamel. The scoring was capped off by Josh Dyer, launching a two-run homer to right field.
The War Hawks look to take the series tomorrow in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
