March 14, 2008

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team won an exciting American Southwest Conference baseball game over Mary Hardin-Baylor, 5-4, with a walk off balk in the bottom of the 11th inning, in the first game of its three-game series Friday night at Hunter Field in Abilene.

Zach Stephens came on in the bottom of the 11th and drew a one-out walk for the Cowboys and moved to third with two outs on a Brian Weeks single to center. It was the fourth hit of the night for Weeks. With two strikes and two outs on Ryan Stepp, Weeks left early for second base and pitcher Les Sarles noticed him, but started his motion and then stopped to for an obvious balk call.

Sarles had pitched well in relief of ace R.B. Garza, who had went seven innings for UMHB. Garza allowed four runs on nine hits. Sarles had scattered two hits in three and two-third innings and struck out four, but took the loss.

HSU jumped to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run by Kyle Post. HSU made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on Taylor Berlin's home run to right, a towering shot halfway up the light standard.

UMHB scored a pair of runs in the sixth when Andrew White led off with a triple and scored on a Sarles doubles. Sarles started the game as the designated hitter. The Cru tied the game in the seventh when Steven Reinlie reached on a two-base error by Wayne Pimpton and came in to score on a White single, his fourth straight hit in the game.

The Cowboy pitching was solid as starter James Sweatman went five and one-third innings, striking out four and allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Nathan Copeland worked an inning and gave up an unearned run.

Kyle Barton and Josh Alcorn worked the final four and two-thirds without allowing a run. Barton pushed his scoreless streak to 21 innings and Alcorn worked the final three and a third innings to move to 2-1 on the year.

HSU improved to 11-6 on the year and to 2-2 in ASC West action. UMHB fell to 14-4 overall and 3-1 in league play with the loss. The teams will play a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.