Box Score MARSHALL, Texas – Playing for the right to advance to the Red Bracket championship game for the American Southwest Conference Tournament, #2 East Texas Baptist University (29-15) came up short in a 9-8 loss to #3 Hardin-Simmons University (27-13). HSU hit the walk-off double down the right field line to take the win as they were the home team in the contest at Woods Field. ETBU now plays Sul Ross State University in an elimination game at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday night.
With two outs, HSU hit a double down the left field line that allowed the winning run to come in from second base for the win. ETBU took an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the inning after being down as much as 6-2 earlier in the game. HSU tied the game with a single to right center field and then the next went to right field with the walk-off winning hit.
Jimmy Russo took the loss and is now 2-1 on the year. He went 1.2 innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. Kyle Johnson received the win for HSU. Starting the game with the no decision was Ashley Dukes going five innings with two strikeouts and four earned runs. Logan Sprinkle then went two innings with two earned runs.
At the plate, Tyler Bates, Jaxon Rader, and Zach Compton all had two hits. Compton and Casey Combs each had two RBI while Bates, Josh Warbington, and Brice Winter added a RBI each. Warbington's RBI came on ETBU's 63rd home run of the year.
HSU had a three-run second inning for the lead but ETBU came within one adding two runs in the third. Warbington hit his eighth home run of the year for the first run of the game and then Bates doubled in Rader for the two runs. HSU extended their lead to 4-2 in the fourth and then 6-2 in the sixth with two more runs. It was a six-run eighth inning for ETBU that put the Tigers on top for the first time, 8-6.
Rader scored on a wild pitch to start the scoring and then Compton singled up the middle to bring in both Dynas Doud and Bates. Casey Combs almost had a home run but HSU's left field brought the ball back in as Combs settled for a two-run double scoring Conner Combs and Compton. The final run of the inning came on a pinch hit by Winter up the middle as Casey Combs was the final score of the inning.
ETBU then gave up one run in the bottom of the eighth but still held onto the lead until the two runs came in in the bottom of the ninth.
ETBU is now playing an elimination game vs. Sul Ross State University for the right to play HSU again on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. HSU has to be beaten twice from whoever comes through the loser's bracket.
