April 22, 2005

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team got its third straight outstanding pitching performance and defeated Howard Payne 10-1 in the first of a three-game American Southwest Conference series, Friday night at Hunter Field in Abilene.

Kurtis Lay went the distance for the Cowboys and allowed one run on four hits and struck out 10 to move to 4-0 on the season. It was his first start of the year on the mound.

Freshman leftfielder Ryan Stepp went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Elliot Strader was 2-for-4 and Brad Coleman was 3-for-4 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run.

The Cowboys scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Strader. In the second Barry Janisse's sacrifice fly drove in Coleman. Coleman had a three-run homer in the fifth.

HSU added three runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Stepp and the Cowboys scored on a balk. Coleman had an RBI single in the eighth.

Colby Rowley took the loss for Howard Payne. The Yellowjackets fell to 11-25 overall and 5-14 in ASC West play. The Cowboys improved to 22-16 overall and 13-5 in league play.

HSU and Howard Payne play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Senior Day for Hardin-Simmons.