April 12, 2003

BELTON, Texas - Hardin-Simmons baseball team dropped the first game of its American Southwest Conference West Division series at Mary Hardin-Baylor, 7-3, Friday afternoon at Red Murff Field in Belton.

The Cowboys broke a pitching up a pitching duel between starters Stephen Oliver of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Matt Hinds of HSU in the top of the fifth inning when they scored their only three runs. Back-to-back walks by Oliver loaded the bases for Ryan Devere who knocked in Andy Harrington who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Following a strikeout, John Schlaffer knocked in two more runs to stake Hinds to a 3-0 lead. He made it stand up for an inning, until the Crusaders scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth.

The Crusaders scored two more runs in the seventh on a single, triple and two-out error. Three hits plated another run in the eighth for the Crusaders.

Andy Harrington led the Cowboys with two hits. Schlaffer had two RBIs. Adam King had three hits to lead the Crusaders and Jose Puentes and Jimmy Whittaker each had two RBIs for the Crusaders.

HSU fell to 14-16 on the season with the loss and to 7-12 in league action. Mary Hardin-Baylor improved to 17-13 and 11-8 in conference play. The two teams will play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday. The games can be heard on KAGT 90.5 or in the Internet at www.hsuathletics.com.