ABILENE, Texas – Scoring in seven of the nine innings played, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team took the American Southwest Conference opener over Hardin-Simmons University, 15-4. ETBU is now 10-5 on the year and 5-2 in the ASC.
 
Stellar pitching helped in the big win as Blaine Parker went seven innings recording 14 strikeouts and giving up seven hits with three earned runs. Zackary Pierce pitched the final two innings striking out four and allowing no runs.
 
ETBU smacked out 12 hits with three of them being home runs from Jake Miller, Charles Gordon, and Will Kelley. Miller went 3-of-4 with five RBI in the game while Austin Barry posted three hits for one RBI. Charles Gordon also had three hits and three RBI.
 
Jase Jones put ETBU on the board first with a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. HSU then tied it in the bottom of the first only to see ETBU explode for four runs in the second inning. Barry had an RBI single and then Miller added three RBI with a three-run home run. HSU pulled to within two, 5-3, with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. The score stayed that way after two scoreless innings and then ETBU finished the game scoring 10 runs in the final five innings for the 15-4 victory.
 
ETBU will face Hardin-Simmons on Saturday in the double header starting at 1:00 p.m.