Brownwood, TX—The McMurry War Hawks traveled to Dan Shepard Park for a mid-week matchup with the Howard Payne Yellowjackets.

The game would open up with McMurry scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on a 2-run single to left by Michael Smosna, scoring Riley Hood and Koy Carpenter after both had swiped second and third base to get themselves into scoring position.

The Yellowjackets would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning, scoring on a single up the middle to draw the score closer at 2-1. The War Hawks would snag that run back in the top half of the third on an RBI ground out by Riley Hood, scoring Blake Beach and pushing the McMurry lead back up to 3-1.

Howard Payne would close the gap again in the bottom of the fourth with a triple from their designated hitter, who would then come home on the second McMurry error of the game. The score would sit at 3-2 until the top of the sixth inning when Riley Hood scored on a wild pitch, making the score 4-2, McMurry.

In the eighth inning, McMurry would push their lead up to four runs, with Michael Smosna singling in one run and Jeremiah Enriquez singling in two more runs. And in the top of the ninth, the War Hawks would push their lead to 8-3 on a solo home run by Beckham Paul.

The pitching for the War Hawks was done by committee, with no pitcher going more than two innings. Each pitcher was effective in limiting the Yellowjackets to three runs on six hits. Titus Ashton would pick up the win after pitching an inning and two-thirds of hitless ball, striking out one. Bryson Morrill would come in in the ninth and face the minimum, striking out one to end the night for the War Hawks.

The win pushes McMurry's record to 17-7 overall and 7-4 on the road. The War Hawks will return to Walt Driggers Field this week to host Hendrix College for a three-game series starting Thursday, March 27th at 7:00 p.m.