March 9, 2005

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Freshman lefthander Dalton Rucker tossed a three-hitter to lead the Hardin-Simmons baseball team past Southwestern, 6-1, in the Abilene Baseball Classic at Hunter Field on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cowboys scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Michael Popino, Michael Simpson and Elliot Strader lead off the inning with consecutive singles. Brad Coleman knocked in Popino with a ground out. Simpson scored on a pick off attempt at first. Later in the inning Barry Janisse drove in Geoff Wheeler who had walked and Coleman making it 4-0.

Patric Mascorro drove in the lone Southwestern run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. HSU responded with two more runs in their half of the fourth. Ryan Stepp singled to right and scored on a Justin Wilson double to left. Popino singled in Wilson making it 6-1.

HSU added five insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Stepp was hit by a pitch and Janisse and Wilson walked to load the bases with nobody out. Popino had an RBI single to center. Strader had an infield single and a throwing error that allowed two runs to score. Simpson scored later on a wild pitch and Strader scored on a Brad Coleman ground out.

Rucker improved to 1-0 on the year. Chris Callicutt (2-1) took the loss for Southwestern. Rucker had eight strikeouts and allowed three hits in seven innings of work.

Hardin-Simmons is now 8-5 on the year and is riding a three-game winning streak. Southwestern fell to 15-2 on the year. HSU returns to action Friday when it travels to Odessa to play Sul Ross State in the ASC West opener for both schools. The game will be played at UT-Permian Basin.