CLEBURNE, TX - The McMurry War Hawks delivered a heart-stopping performance on Saturday, completing a thrilling ninth-inning comeback to defeat the #1 seed Texas Lutheran Bulldogs 5-4 in the SCAC Championship Tournament at La Moderna Field in Cleburne, Texas.
The War Hawks came out swinging in the top of the first inning.
Kaden Buske got things started with a single through the right side, and
Collin Bruning quickly brought him home with a booming RBI triple to right-center.
Blake Risko followed with a productive groundout to short, allowing Bruning to cross the plate and giving the War Hawks an early 2-0 advantage.
Starting pitcher
Hagen Tate kept the Bulldogs at bay through the first four frames, working out of a few jams to preserve the shutout early on. However, the Bulldogs found their footing in the bottom of the fifth.
Texas Lutheran managed to scratch across two runs, utilizing a hit batter, a walk, and two fielders' choices to tie the game at 2-2.
David Perez entered the game in relief for McMurry to stop the bleeding and successfully induced a groundout to end the inning.
A defensive miscue allowed Texas Lutheran to take the lead in the sixth. After an error at third base kept the inning alive for the Bulldogs, they capitalized with an RBI single to center field, edging ahead 3-2.
With
Trey Gomez taking over on the mound in the eighth, Texas Lutheran added what looked to be a crucial insurance run. An RBI single to center pushed the Bulldogs' lead to 4-2, leaving the War Hawks with their backs against the wall heading into the final frame.
The War Hawks refused to go down quietly in the ninth.
Beckham Paul sparked the rally by reaching on a throwing error.
Tatum Black then stepped up and delivered a clutch RBI single to left, scoring Paul and cutting the deficit to one.
Kaden Buske kept the line moving with a perfectly placed bunt single. With two outs and the season on the line,
Dru Ohmstede played the hero, lacing a two-run single up the middle to score both Black and Buske, catapulting McMurry to a 5-4 lead.
Adam Trevino came out for the bottom of the ninth and slammed the door shut, retiring the side in order to secure his fourth save of the year and seal the dramatic victory.
Top Performers
- Dru Ohmstede: Delivered the ultimate clutch hit, driving a two-RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth to win the game.
- Kaden Buske: Acted as a sparkplug at the top of the order, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
- Collin Bruning: Jump-started the offense early with a first-inning RBI triple and a run scored.
- Adam Trevino: Pitched a flawless bottom of the ninth, facing three batters and retiring them all to earn the save.
On Deck
McMurry heads into a winner's bracket matchup against the winner of game five between #2 LeTourneau and #3 Concordia on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:00 a.m.
