BB edged by HSU in 11 innings

03/14/08

Abilene, TX - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team fought back from an early deficit to send the game to extra innings only to see things end on an 11th-inning balk as the Cru dropped a 5-4 decision to Hardin-Simmons Friday night in Abilene. The loss drops UMHB to 14-4 overall and 3-1 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. Hardin-Simmons improves to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the ASC with the victory.

The teams were tied at four going into the bottom of the 11th inning. Brian Weeks' two-out single put runners on first and third. Les Sarles then work a two-strike count on Ryan Stepp before he was called for a balk to force in the game-winning run. Hardin-Simmons took a 3-0 lead on Kyle Post's three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning. UMHB cut it to 3-1 on Brady Honeycutt's RBI single in the top of the fourth inning. Taylor Berlin added a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to put the Cowboys up 4-1. The Cru pulled to within 4-3 when Les Sarles doubled home Andrew White and came around to score on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth inning. White tied the game at four with an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning. UMHB would load the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, but could not push across a run.

Sarles took the hard-luck for UMHB to fall to 2-1 on the season. He allowed just two hits and struck out four in three and two-thirds innings of relief work. Josh Alcorn picked up the win for the Cowboys to move to 2-1 on the season. Alcorn pitched three and a third innings of one-hit relief. White led UMHB with four hits and Sarles added two for the Cru. Weeks had a four-hit night for the Cowboys and Berlin added two hits for HSU.

The two teams will close out the series with a 1:00 PM doubleheader tomorrow. The Cru will then return to action with a non-conference game at Texas Wesleyan University next Tuesday in Fort Worth.