April 18, 2008

Final Stats

SEGUIN, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team overcame a 10-4 seventh inning deficit to win 15-12 over Texas Lutheran in 11 innings in American Southwest Conference action Friday afternoon at Katt-Isbel Field.

The win gave the Cowboys a berth in the ASC Championship Series next weekend. Who and when they Cowboys will play will be determined by this weekend's action. It is the fourth straight year HSU has qualified for the ASC postseason.

Trailing 10-4 going into the seventh inning, the Cowboys plated a pair of runs in the seventh to make it 10-6. Ryan Stepp led off the inning with a walk and scored on a James Gage one out double. That ended the day for TLU starter Brad Wesson and Logan Hull came on in relief. He walked Regan Dixon and Gage moved up on a passed ball. Wayne Pimpton drove in Gage with a sacrifice fly to right. After a Tre' Sellari single and a walk to Copeland, TLU closer Robert Conley came on and got a ground out to end the inning.

The Cowboys exploded for five runs in the eighth. Kevin Ellison had a lead off walk, Stepp singled and Weeks singled to load the bases. Gage had a sacrifice fly to deep right. Dixon walked to load the bases and Pimpton doubled to the gap in right center, driving home two runs. Sellari followed with another two-run double.

Kyle Barton worked a perfect eighth for the Cowboys and HSU went down in order in the ninth. Josh Alcorn came on for the Cowboys in the ninth and recorded the first two outs, but TLU came up with a two out double by Andrew Fernath and after a walk to set up the force, Joseph Brade drove in Fernath with a double to tie the game.

It remained tied at 11-11 until the 11th inning and after the first two batters were retired Dixon reached on a two-out error by Chris Green. Pimpton doubled home Dixon and Sellari singled in Pimpton. Nathan Copeland followed with a two-run home run to left center.

TLU scored a run in the 11th, but Alcorn (4-2) recorded a strikeout of Jason Foley to end the game and earn the win.

HSU scored two runs in the first inning on a Sellari RBI single and an error. TLU took a tied it with a pair of solo home runs in the second and pushed the lead to 7-2 after the fifth. HSU scored two runs in the sixth on a Pimpton double and a Taylor Berlin RBI single. TLU came right back with three runs in the sixth. Eric Roten came on in relief of Sam Walker and got out of the inning and he worked a scoreless seventh.

Sellari led the Cowboys with five hits and four RBIs. Pimpton had three hits and five RBIs. Femath had four hits for TLU and Foley had four RBIs.

HSU has won 10 straight games and is now 24-14 on the year and 12-7 in league play. TLU fell to 19-19 overall and 9-10 in league play. The teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

--- HSU ---