April 9, 2005

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team swept past Schreiner, 8-7 in eight inning and 9-8 in American Southwest Conference action Saturday afternoon at Hunter Field.

The Cowboys fought back twice to tie the first game and then scored a run in the bottom of the eighth for the win. In the sixth, Craig Johnson led off with a single and Taylor Gibbs pinch ran for him and stole second and went to third when the throw went into centerfield. He then scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-5.

In the seventh, after Joe Mann had hit a two-run homer in the top of the inning. HSU came back to tie it on a Michael Simpson two-run blast to right. HSU scored the winning run in the eight on a Justin Wilson walk off single that scored Taylor Lamar.

Barry Janisse, Lamar, Simpson, and Michael Popino each had two hits for the Cowboys. Simpson and Janisse each had two-run home runs. Kyle Tabor won the game in relief. It was his 15th career win which set the school record. Mann and Nick Villanueva had two RBIs each for Schreiner. J.D. Brantley took the loss on the mound.

In the nightcap, the Cowboys rode a seven-run first inning to the win. Lamar singled to lead off the inning, followed by a Janisse double, Wilson scored two with a single Popino walked in front of a three-run home run by Simpson over the 400-foot deep, 24-foot high green monster in center field. Johnson doubled and Brad Coleman brought him in with a home run to left. Johnson had a sac fly in the second and Elliot Strader a RBI single in the sixth to account for the Cowboys other two runs.

Kurtis Lay got the win for the Cowboys, who had to fight off a late Schreiner rally, which included a three-run home run in the seventh. Lay is now 3-0 with three saves.

Schreiner fell to 12-22 on the year and HSU is now 19-11 and 11-3 in league play. HSU hosts Austin College at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

--- HSU Athletics ---