MARSHALL, Texas – In a story of two different contests, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team would manage to split their double header against the Southwestern University Pirates on Friday. The Tigers are currently 18-9 overall after the in-regional match up.
 
ETBU would fall in the first game, 13-0, in seven innings as they would have just three hits all game long. Dylan Sumpter would have two of them while Casey Combs had the other one. Derrick Findley suffered his second loss of the season with only 1.2 innings allowing six runs on two hits.
 
Game two was tighter as the Tigers would explode for a home run derby in the late innings to win 6-3. Alan Underwood started and would pitch six innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out eight. Reliever Alek Arellano would get the win with one perfect eighth inning while Chad Boudreaux earned the save in the ninth.
 
Game 1 – SU 13, ETBU 0
SU struck first in the top of the first with a three-run homer to take the lead and never look back. More damage would come in the second and third innings as the Pirates tacked on six runs respectively to build the lead up to 10-0. The Tigers had chances to score but they couldn't bring in the run through four innings.
 
ETBU would have a strong performance in relief from Daniel Rubio, who posted a pair of scoreless frames. The Pirates would extend their lead to 13-0 with three in in the sixth. Dakota Courtney and Clayton Conrad would also appear in the game for ETBU as they would combine to hold SU scoreless in the seventh inning. But ETBU would be unable to score in the bottom of the seventh as SU completed their shutout win.
 
Game 2 – ETBU 6, SU 3
Underwood would start off with a pair of scoreless frames, which included getting out of a bases loaded jam. Mikeska led off the second inning with a home run to put ETBU up 1-0. The Pirates would knot the score at one apiece as they would score on an error in the top of the third inning. Yet, in the bottom half, Sumpter would put ETBU ahead with an RBI triple. The fourth inning brought trouble for ETBU as Underwood loaded the bases with nobody out. Two strikeouts and a force out later, the bases were left loaded.
 
The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth inning before a long out to the wall denied their chance of scoring. Underwood would use help from a pair of defensive plays to keep the score 2-1 after the top of the sixth inning. But SU would regain the lead with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. However evened the score with a solo shot to right in the eighth inning. Moments later, Mikeska came through with a two-run homer that put the Tigers up 5-3. Then it was Barns who drilled a homer to make it a 6-3 lead for the Tigers. Boudreaux came in during the ninth inning. While the Pirates would load the bases with two outs, a fielder's choice ended any chance of a rally as the doubleheader would be split.
 
The series finale will take place tomorrow at 1:00 PM with weather pending.