TYLER, Texas – Taking the series over #12 the University of Texas Tyler after being shut out on Friday night, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team bounced back with two victories over the Patriots, 4-2 and 5-3. ETBU is now 9-7 overall and 3-3 in American Southwest Conference play. 
 
In game one, ETBU put together four runs while hanging on to a 4-2 seven-inning victory against UTT. Blaine Parker was the victor from the mound with 4.2 IP allowing no runs on four hits while Chad Boudreaux (0.1 IP, two runs, two hits, one strikeout) and Jordan O'Bannon (2.0 IP, two hits, one strikeout) finished the game. Offensively, KJ Miller led with three hits and two RBI. Blake Wilson was the only UTT player with two hits while Jared Pauley picked up the only RBI on the day. Max Page (4.0 IP, three runs, six hits, three strikeouts) got the loss for UTT. 
 
Game two was another tight thriller as ETBU again would hang on to a 5-3 win. Dylan Singletary, Seth Mikeska, Landen Barns, and Casey Combs each had two hits with Combs driving in two RBI along with Miller. John Marrs took the win with 7.1 IP allowing three runs on five hits while Derrick Findley picked up the save with 1.2 IP allowing one hit and struck out two batters. Jordan Antley was UTT's top hitter with two hits while Simon Cedilla took the loss by going 6.1 IP allowing four runs on seven hits. 
 
Game 1 - ETBU 4, UTT 2
 
UTT would have an opportunity to strike first in the bottom of the first inning as they loaded the bases. But Parker was able to get the third out on a pop up to Casey Combs to end the inning. It would take a few innings before ETBU would put together a rally in the top of the third as singles by Miller and Sumpter was followed by a walk to Bateman. ETBU would finally score their first run of the series when Singletary hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Miller. 
 
ETBU then tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth as an RBI single by Barns and RBI double by Miller made the score 3-0. Parker then kept cruising until the bottom of the fifth inning when he gave up two walks and a single all with two-outs. Boudreaux came in and struck out Bishop to end the inning with UTT stranding the bases loaded still down 3-0. In the top of the sixth inning, Miller would tack on another run with a single to make it 4-0. UTT would score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-2 and would bring up the go-ahead run. But ETBU's defense kept the lead heading to the last inning. O'Bannon would then shut the door on the Patriots to preserve the victory and earn a save. 
 
Game 2 - ETBU 5, UTT 3
 
UTT threatened in the bottom of the second inning with back to back two-out singles but Marrs was able to record the third out. ETBU would strike first in the top of the fourth inning when a two-out single by Mikeska was followed an RBI double by Combs to make it 1-0. But UTT answered in the bottom of the fourth on a home run to tie it 1-1. ETBU would attempt to take the lead as Sumpter reached on a single and a two-base error by the pitcher, which sent him to third. However, he would be left as a strikeout ended ETBU's threat. 
 
The score stayed tied until the top of the seventh when back-to back singles by Combs and Barns led off the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt, Miller would put ETBU ahead 3-1 with a two-run single to center. He would then score on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. The Patriots would answer with a run on a wild pitch and it was 4-2 Tigers. ETBU would get an insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Combs to make it 5-2. But again, the Patriots would rally in the bottom half and cut the lead to 5-3 on an RBI groundout. In the end, despite a ninth-inning rally from the Patriots that brought the winning run to the plate, Findley picked up two strikeouts to pick up the series victory over UTT. 
 
ETBU will now be back home at Woods Field this Monday night when they host Centenary at 7:00 PM.