April 16, 2004

Final Stats

KERRVILLE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team swept a doubleheader from Concordia-Austin, Saturday afternoon 3-1 and 3-2 in American Southwest Conference West Division action in Kerrville.

The Cowboys won both games in dramatic fashion and both winning pitchers were true freshmen for HSU.

The first game was scoreless until the sixth inning when the Cowboys struck for a run. Andy Harrington led off reaching on an error by the first baseman. He was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Popino and scored on a double to center by Justin Wilson.

Brian Whitworth, who pitched a gem for the Cowboys, thought he had a 1-0 win until the bottom of the seventh with two outs when a ball squirted through third baseman Brad Coleman that allowed a run to score for the Mountaineers and send the game into extra innings.

HSU scored two runs in the ninth as Brady Coke led off with a drag bunt single. Coke then stole second with two outs and Barry Janisse singled. Coke scored when an error by Schreiner allowed Harrington to reach with two outs. Popino then singled home Janisse and the Cowboys closed the door behind Brian Arnold, who came on in relief.

Wilson was 3-for-3 in the game and Popino and Coke had two hits each.

In game two, HSU got a single run in the second when Simpson reached on an error, stole second and came home on a Coke single. Schreiner went ahead 2-1 in the third with a pair of runs and it stayed that way until the Cowboys tied it at 2-2 in the fifth.

Coke led off with a double, moved over on a Tim Donnelly sac bunt, and scored on a Barry Janisse single through the right side. HSU added the winning run in the top of the seventh, after a spectacular defensive play closed out the sixth. Coke fielded a ball in deep left field and was able to fire to third and get the runner trying to move up before the runner going to home touched the plate, ending the inning.

Janisse led off with a double and moved up on a sac bunt by Harrington. Popino was hit by a pitch and Jeff Wisner pinch ran for him. He moved to second on a wild pitch and would have scored easily on a ball that Justin Wilson hit back up the middle, but it hit the umpire killing the ball, giving Wilson a single and loading the bases. Michael Simpson then hit a sacrifice fly to right center scoring Janisse.

Patrick Brandt got the win in relief for the Cowboys. He allowed just one hit over four and 1/3 innings and struck out four. It was his first career win for HSU.

HSU improved to 22-12 overall and 13-5 in ASC West play. Schreiner fell to 10-26 overall and 4-14 in league play.