Feb. 25, 2006

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' cardiac baseball team was at it again on Saturday when it scored two runs in the ninth to tie the game and scored in the 10th to defeat UT-Tyler, 8-7, Saturday night at Hunter Field.

The Cowboys have won all four of their games this season with last-inning rallies. HSU improved to 4-2 on the year and UT-Tyler fell to 0-2.

In the 10th, Kurtis Lay, who started the game as the Cowboys' designated hitter, got out of a first-and-third no-out situation. In the bottom of the 10th Trevor Bunte reached on an error. Blake Koch moved him up with a sacrifice. Taylor Lamar was intentionally walked and Ryan Stepp reached on a fielder's choice. On the next pitch, Greg Johnson uncorked a wild pitch that scored Bunte.

The Cowboys had their third straight last-inning rally when they scored a pair of runs in the ninth to tie the game. Lamar led off with a double and moved up on a wild pitch. Michael Simpson knocked him in with a ground out to second base. Brad Coleman then came up with a two-out single and Lay followed with a walk. Bo Vaculik came up clutch tying the game with a single to right to score Kevin Ellison, who had pinch run for Coleman.

UT-Tyler jumped out with four runs in the first inning with four hits, including a two-run double by Brett Amyx. Mayan Corioso and Joseph Towns had RBI singles.

HSU pushed across two runs in the third when Lamar and Ryan Stepp led off with back-to-back singles. Simpson bunted them over and Coleman slapped a two-run single through the left side.

The Cowboys added a run in the fourth. Bunte singled through the left side with two outs and Blake Koch had an infield single. Lamar followed with a single to left field to knock in Bunte. UT-Tyler added a run in the fifth with a Amyx double to left. He was bunted over and scored on a Towns single.

HSU came right back in the fifth with a pair of runs to tie the game. Simpson led off with a single up the middle and Coleman sacrificed him over and he scored on a Kurtis Lay double to right center. Vaculik knocked in Lay with a single to left.

UT-Tyler scored single runs in the sixth and seventh. The Patriots scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and on a squeeze play in the seventh.

Brian Arnold went 5 2/3 for the Cowboys allowing six runs (five earned) and struck out four. Lance Johnson came on in relief and threw three and one-third innings, allowing only one run. Andrew Burdine tried to go the distance for UT-Tyler as we went eight and two-third innings, allowing seven runs, 17 hits and striking out six. He gave way with two runners on to Chase Tarrant in the ninth and he got a pop up to send the game to extra innings. He took the hard-luck loss after allowing Bunte to reach on an error in the 10th.

Lamar and Vaculik each had three hits for the Cowboys to pace a 17-hit attack. Coleman and Vaculik each had two RBIs for HSU. Brett Amyz and Joseph Townes each had three hits and drove in two for UT-Tyler.