April 26, 2008

Final Stats

TYLER, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team ended its season with a 5-3 loss to UT Tyler Saturday afternoon at Irwin Field in the American Southwest Conference Championship Series.

The Patriots received a dominating pitching performance from Brett Holland, who allowed only three runs and struck out 15 in eight innings of work. Beau Zigler worked the ninth for the save to complete the two-game sweep of the series for the Patriots.

UT Tyler jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning with RBI singles from Kyle Braden and Corey Farra. In the bottom of the inning, the Cowboys' Wayne Pimpton tripled to lead off the inning and would score two batters later to pull within one.

In the top of the third, Andrew Damewood hit a two-RBI double to extend the UTT lead to 4-1. However, in the bottom of the third, HSU answered once again with one run of its own, this time on a single by Regan Dixon that would score Brian Weeks.

The Patriots extended their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth inning on a Damewood home run to right center.

After that it was a pitcher's duel as neither team could muster any runs, until Dixon homered in the eighth to make it 5-3. Wayne Pimpton followed with a double off the top of the wall, but he was stranded and the Cowboys went 1-2-3 in the ninth.

HSU ends the season with a record of 26-16. It also ended the career of the nine Cowboy seniors. The Patriots moved to 35-7 on the year and advance to the ASC Championship Tournament next weekend at McMurry.