ABILENE, Texas – Pounding out 14 runs combined with a complete game victory for Derrick Findley, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team jumped out of the gate and took game one of this series, 14-3, over the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys. ETBU is 11-7 overall and 4-3 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
ETBU had five players with two hits including Casey Combs (two RBI), Zach Gartner, Landen Barns (three RBI), Brady Faulkner (four RBI), and Ford Spigener while Seth Mikeska picked up his three RBI on his sixth homer of the season. Derrick Findley started and went all nine innings allowing three runs on six hits and five strikeouts. The losing pitcher for HSU was Jaxon Terrell, who lasted five innings giving up eight runs on nine hits.
 
The Tigers exploded for eight runs in the first two innings. In the top of the first Barns cleared the bases with a double before Faulkner drove in the fourth run for an early 4-0 lead. One inning later, Combs singled to make it 5-0 before Faulkner would also clear the bases as he drove in three runs on a triple. Findley retired the first five hitters he faced as he would manage to hold HSU to one hit for six innings.
 
ETBU added more runs in the sixth as Combs would pick up his second RBI with a single before Mikeska followed it with a no-doubt homer to left and it was 12-0. HSU managed to get on the board with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to cut the lead to 12-3. ETBU added two insurance runs on a fielder's choice plus an error by Will Kelley in the ninth inning. Findley sealed his complete game victory in the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
ETBU will now have a doubleheader tomorrow with a 1:00 PM start in Abilene.