MARSHALL, Texas – In an offensive onslaught, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team scored 17 runs en route to 17-8 win over McMurry University in game one of the weekend series. ETBU has scored at least 13 runs in the past four games. ETBU improves to 19-10 overall and 10-3 in ASC play. McMurry falls to 11-18 overall and to 5-8 in ASC play.

ETBU got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Zach Compton drilled his seventh homerun of the season, a solo shot to give ETBU a 1-0 lead. McMurry would respond with five runs in the top of the third inning on a double and two two-run homeruns to put the War Hawks in front 5-1. Jaxon Rader singled home a run, and Conner Combs hit a sacrifice fly to cut the McMurry lead to 5-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, Brice Winter picked a good time to hit his first homerun of the season, a two-run shot to tie the game at 5-5. Mason Aldredge put ETBU back on top as his single scored Dylan Sumpter to give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. McMurry tied the game on an ETBU error in the top of the fifth inning. Winter was clutch again as he singled home Compton to put ETBU in front for good. Rader walked in a run, and Aldredge added his second RBI single to score two more runs, giving ETBU a 9-5 lead.

Sumpter walked in a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give ETBU a 10-5 lead. McMurry scored one run in the seventh to cut into the ETBU lead, but ETBU answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Zach Gartner doubled home Combs, and Josh Warbington singled home Gartner to extend the lead to 12-6. Compton singled home two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, followed by a two-run triple from Gartner to top of the ETBU scoring at 17 runs. Tyler Jenkins hit his second homerun of the game in the top of ninth to close the scoring at 17-8.

All nine starters for ETBU recorded a hit, with eight of them getting two hits. Aldredge, Compton, Gartner, and Winter each drove in three runs. Compton, Winter, and Sumpter each scored three runs to pace the ETBU offense. ETBU had 17 hits and 17 RBI as a team. ETBU hit .447 as a team and had a .580 on-base percentage.

Zach Pollard started the game on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing eight hits and five earned runs. Garrett Penny picked up his fourth win (4-0) of the season, pitching the final 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits.

Chris Baker had three hits to lead the McMurry offense, followed by Jenkins and Noah Clarkson with two hits. Jenkins had three RBI and Matthew Chalk had two RBI. Juan Valadez picked up his fourth loss of the season to drop to 3-4 overall, allowing seven runs on 4.0 innings pitched.

ETBU and McMurry will resume the series with a 1:00 p.m. double header. ETBU will be hosting an Alumni Day and James Morgan Memorial Day.