MARSHALL, Texas – The Cardiac Cats of the East Texas Baptist University baseball team played a major role as they came from behind in both wins against the Unviersity of Mary Hardin-Baylor to sweep the doubleheader and the series. The two wins not only increases ETBU's winning streak to nine games, but also puts ETBU's record at 25-11 and 16-5 in the ASC Conference, which is now tied for first with Concordia (TX). ETBU also hit seven home runs on the day, increasing their total to 57 on the season which leads the NCAA Division III.

Game one saw ETBU escape a late rally to win 6-3. Eight of nine players in ETBU's lineup had at least one hit while Dylan Sumpter, Dynas Doud, Zach Compton, Kameron Sumrall, and Jaxon Rader had an RBI in the game. Ashley Dukes got the win allowing three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Russo only needed one out to record his sixth save of the year.

In game two, ETBU rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the fourth with eight runs to take the lead and win by the final score of 15-9. Brice Winter led the way with four hits, including two home runs while Tyler Bates had five RBI on two hits, including a grand slam. Compton, Conner Combs, and Rader would each homer in the game. Cody Pierce (five runs, seven hits), and Chad Boudreaux (two runs, four hits) each went two innings while Logan Sprinkle received the win with 2.2 innings pitched allowing two runs on three hits. Russo picked up his second save of the day with 2.1 innings pitched allowing two hits and striking out three batters.

Game 1 – ETBU 6, UMHB 3

After UMHB struck first with a run in the top of the first, ETBU answered with a home run by Doud and an RBI single by Sumrall to take a 2-1 lead. Rader had his RBI in the second inning with a single scoring Casey Combs. The fourth inning saw ETBU score three runs on a single by Sumpter, a bases loaded walk to Compton, and Sumrall reaching on an error. After two scoreless frames, UMHB had a home run by Scott Stephens and added another run on an error before Russo secured the win, 6-3.

Game 2 – ETBU 15, UMHB 9

Once again, UMHB struck for seven runs in the first four innings scoring two each in three of the innings. UMHB pitcher Seth Hill held ETBU to one hit through three innings during that frame. But in the fourth, ETBU answered with three home runs including two two-run homers by Compton and Combs and a grand slam by Bates to make the score 8-7 in ETBU's favor.

After a scoreless fifth, Winter and Rader would both connect for back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning while Bates had another RBI single to make it 11-7. UMHB would chip away at the lead with two more runs in the seventh inning only to have ETBU score three of their own in the bottom half on a second homer by Winter and an RBI single by Sumpter. Sumrall would hit a double to right in the eighth inning giving ETBU a 15-9 lead, which was good enough for Jimmy Russo to pick up his second save.

ETBU next plays a non-conference game vs. LeTourneau University on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Longview, Texas.