AUSTIN, Texas – In game one of the three-game series, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team fell to Concordia University in a battle of two of the top four American Southwest Conference teams. ETBU falls to 21-11 overall, and to 12-4 in ASC standings. Concordia improves to 20-11 overall, and 11-5 in ASC play.

Concordia scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to grab a 2-0 lead, scoring on a solo homerun from Caleb Maddox and off an ETBU error.  Zach Compton singled home Conner Combs to cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third inning. Casey Combs brought home Kam Sumrall to tie the game at 2-2 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

Race Mellman and Casen Novak used an RBI double and RBI single to give Concordia a 4-2 lead after four innings. Michael Evan singled home a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to stretch the Tornado lead to 5-2. Sumrall drove home Zach Gartner on a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-3. Concordia added an insurance run in the eighth inning off two errors from ETBU.

ETBU had seven different batters record a hit in the contest, led by Conner Combs and Zach Gartner with a double each. Compton, Sumrall, and Casey Combs each recorded one RBI. Zach Pollard was given the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Blake Corbin allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in 3.2 innings of relief.

Clarence Guidry had two hits to lead the Tornado offense. Maddox hit a homerun, and Colton Poindexter and Mellman each recorded a double in the win. Concordia relief pitchers allowed only one unearned run in 5.0 innings, picking up a save and the win in the process.

ETBU and Concordia will conclude the series with a 1:00 p.m. double header at Tornado Field.