March 24, 2007

Final Stats

BELTON, Texas - Hardin-Simmons baseball dropped a doubleheader with Mary Hardin-Baylor falling 7-4 and 9-7 in American Southwest action at Red Murff Field in Belton.

The Cowboys led 7-1 in the eighth inning, before the Crusaders scored eight runs to take a 9-7 lead. It looked like HSU was out of the inning with the game being 7-4 but Danny Ruth then dropped a one-handed catch in left and then the Crusaders scored two runs and went on to score three more runs.

Josh Alcorn deserved a better fate when he had been outstanding through seven innings, with UMHB's only run came on a R.B. Garza solo home run in the second inning. He ended up giving up nine runs, only four of which were earned.

HSU jumped on the board early in the first when Brad Coleman singled with two outs, moved to third on a double by Michael Simpson and both came in to score on a double by Ryan Stepp.

In the third inning, Taylor Lamar led off with a walk and scored on a double by Coleman. Coleman came around to score on a Stepp RBI single. Coleman added a two-run home run in the fifth inning to make it 6-1.

HSU added an insurance run in the eighth when Stepp beat out an infield hit and stole second. He scored when Garza, playing second base made a nice diving stab at a Danny Ruth grounder but his throw was wide allowing Stepp to score.

In the first game, Dalton Rucker (2-3) was solid allowing only one earned run in four and one-third innings, but it was his own fielding error that allowed three unearned runs for UMHB in the fourth inning that gave the Crusaders a 4-3 inning. It came with two outs and extended the inning. UMHB scored three runs in the sixth on home runs by Ricky LaFont and Adam Froeschel.

Taylor Gibbs was the offense for the Cowboys. He had two hits and drove in four runs. He had a two-run home run in the fourth inning after having one taken away in the first inning when Joseph Villegas went over the fence and brought it back for an out. R.B. Garza went the distance for UMHB allowing four hits and striking out six.

The Cowboys are now 12-13 on the year and 1-7 in ASC West action. Mary Hardin-Baylor is 14-10-1 overall and 8-1 in ASC West play. HSU plays at Lubbock Christian on Tuesday.

--- HSU Athletics ---