MARSHALL, Texas – Hosting a key American Southwest Conference series, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team came away with the doubleheader sweep against LeTourneau University on Friday night, 6-5, and 12-2. With the ASC victories, ETBU improves to 21-9 overall and 10-4 in conference play. LETU drops to 16-13 and 6-5 in the ASC.

Seth Mikeska turned in a masterful performance on the day. The senior outfielder collected three hits, two runs, four RBI and a homerun in five appearances at the plate. Zach Gartner recorded three hits, two runs and two RBI in five at-bats, while both Landen Barns and Casey Combs picked up homeruns in the two victories. On the mound, Alan Underwood surrendered just one run in eight innings pitched, while delivering five strikeouts to improve his overall record to 4-0 on the season.
 
Game 1 – ETBU 6, LETU 5
The Tigers scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a double by Mikeska that sent Combs home and brought the score to 1-0 early on. LETU responded in the bottom of the second, when Cody Lee recorded a double of his own, scoring Jacob Jones and tying the score at one.

The Yellow Jackets would take the lead, after Brandon Ramirez picked up a single in the top of the third that would score Jacob Faubion and bring the score to 2-1. A homerun by Combs tied the ballgame in the bottom of the third (2-2), but a three run stretch by LETU put the road team on top by three, 5-2, heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Ford Spigener tallied his first home run of the season, giving the Tigers back the momentum and cutting the lead to two, 5-3. Barns chipped in his third homerun of the season, scoring Mikeska and tying the game at 5-5 heading into the final inning.

The Tigers kept the Yellow Jackets off the board, and would have the opportunity to complete the comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh. Jeremy Bateman would step in to pinch run for ETBU, with Combs at first base and Gartner at bat. Gartner collected an RBI single up to left field that would score Bateman and seal the walk-off victory, 6-5.     
 
 
Game 2 – ETBU 12, LETU 2
Sumpter singled out to leftfield, advancing him to first base to start off game two. Gartner would further the Tigers cause with a single just past the mound, which put Sumpter on third base. Mikeska then recorded a double on the next sequence, sending both Sumpter and Gartner home to pick up two RBI to make it 2-0. Barns sent the next pitch over the wall, bringing the score to 4-0 at the bottom of the first inning.

Combs tacked on two more runs for the Tigers in the bottom of the second inning, connecting on a homerun that would also bring in Sumpter and keep LETU off the board for a six-run lead.

Drew Large singled to right field to find himself on first base. Ford Spigener would single to right field, but advance to second base on the throw, sending Large to third base in the fourth inning. A balk by Jared Schurig scored Large and moved Spigener to third base, increasing the Tiger lead to 7-0. Spigener would eventually find his way home and push the score to 8-0 to end the inning on a Sumpter sacrifice fly.

Mikeska put the finishing touches on a dominating performance by the Tigers, sending one out of the park and bringing the Tiger lead to 10-0 at the bottom of the fifth. The Yellow Jackets were finally able to score two runs in the ballgame, making the final score 12-2.

Gartner, Mikeska, and Spigener each had three hits in the game as Mikeska added four RBI. Underwood earned the win combing down five batters.

ETBU will close out the three-game series with LETU tomorrow, April 6 from Woods Field at 10:00 a.m.