SHREVEPORT, La. – Starting their season on the road following a schedule, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team came away with a split in the doubleheader against Centenary College. ETBU fell in game one, 8-1, but bounced back with a 12-2 win in game two. ETBU will look to take the series win tomorrow as the series shifts to Woods Field.

The day started with an 8-1 loss for ETBU in a seven-inning game one. ETBU was held to one run on four hits as Dylan Sumpter, Casey Combs (RBI), Zach Gartner, and Jake Miller collected a hit. Starting pitcher Derrick Findley took the loss with one inning allowing six runs on five hits. Chris Haggard picked up three hits for CC with an RBI while Tyler Erickson collected a team-high two RBI in the game. Starter Austin Warner went all seven innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out two batters.

Game two went just eight innings as ETBU bounced back with a 12-2 win. Seth Mikeska tallied three of ETBU's 13 hits of the game while Miller contributed four RBI on two hits. On the mound, Blake Corbin went 5.0 innings allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts. Cody Crowder managed to get two hits for CC while Preston Ludwick tallied the only RBI for the Gents. Andy Purpura started game two by lasting four innings with one run and five hits to his credit. But it was Joshua Gatewood who was given the loss as he allowed three runs on four hits in his one inning of work.

Game 1 – CC 8, ETBU 1 (7 innings)

Two batters into the season, ETBU took the lead with an RBI single from Combs to make it 1-0. But the Gents would answer with six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Over the next four innings, ETBU struggled to get anything going offensively as they had Combs reach base on a walk in the third inning during that span.

With one out in the top of the sixth, the Tigers created a scoring opportunity as they put two runners on base on a single by Gartner and a hit by pitch to Mikeska. But a two-out single from Miller led to Gartner being thrown out at the plate ending the inning. CC picked up two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the contest to 8-1. ETBU went down 1-2-3 in the seventh as the Gents grabbed the first game.

Game 2 – ETBU 12, CC 2 (7 innings)

The Gents would grab the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an ETBU error. Two innings later in the top of the third inning, Combs would pick up a two-out single before stealing second and advancing to third on the wild pitch. Yet, he would be stranded as the next hitter grounded out to short. The fourth and fifth innings saw ETBU pick up a run in each frame with RBIs from Miller on a groundout and single respectively to take the lead 2-1.

Then in the top of the sixth inning, ETBU extended the lead to 6-1 as Singletary reached on an error, Bateman hit a sacrifice fly, and Gartner would add an RBI single and score on a wild pitch. But the offensive outburst was just getting started as come the seventh inning, the Tigers added six runs with a wild pitch, a bases loaded walk to Mikeska, and two-RBI hits by Barns and Miller, which made the score 12-2. ETBU's pitching staff held down the Gents for the final inning as ETBU preserved the ten-run victory.

The finale takes place tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Woods Field.