LONGVIEW, Texas – With timely hitting and strong pitching, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team swept the American Southwest Conference double header over LeTourneau University to take the series. Not only is ETBU ending their regular season at 26-14 and 19-8 in the ASC, they will now be one of two hosts for the ASC Red/Blue Bracket Tournament next week.
ETBU would break out to an early lead in game one holding LETU down, 4-2.
Will Kelley was the top hitter for the Tigers with three while he and
Christopher Robinson (two hits) each recorded two RBI.
Cameron Neel would also collect two hits.
Isaiah Alvarenga earned another complete game victory going seven innings allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.
Despite a rain delay that halted the game for less than an hour, the Tigers would take game two, 8-3, to finish the regular season at worst in second place in the ASC.
Carson Wilson (RBI) and Robinson each had three hits for ETBU while
Zachary McAdams drove in two RBI.
Jacob Sherman would receive the win with 5.1 innings in relief striking out six while allowing one run on four hits.
Game 1: ETBU 4, LETU 2 (7 Inn.)
ETBU would score their four runs in the first three innings. They opened the scoring in the first inning on a two-run single from Kelley. Robinson led off the second inning with a solo home run pushing ETBU's early edge to 3-0. Then in the third, Robinson would record his second RBI with a single to third base moving the score to, 4-0.
Alvarenga kept LETU off the scoreboard for three innings. However, he conceded a run on fielder's choice in the fourth inning. LETU then threatened in the sixth inning putting the first two on before a single cut the lead to 4-2. But, the Yellow Jackets would be unable to score anymore in the sixth and seventh as Alvarenga finished another complete game victory.
Game 2: ETBU 8, LETU 3
Both teams scratched across two runs in the first inning as McAdams put ETBU up 2-0 before the Yellow Jackets tied the score in the bottom of the inning. Following a rain delay, ETBU retook the lead with three runs in the second inning as Mason Bono scored on a wild pitch while Miller reached on an error. A RBI single by Wilson gave the Tigers a 5-2 lead to finish out the scoring in that inning.
Despite letting LETU score once in the bottom of the second, the Tigers increased their lead with one run in third and two runs in the fifth inning. A sac fly by Robinson in the third was followed by two more runs in the fifth as Neel scored on a balk while Barry recorded a sacrifice fly. This five run lead held throughout the game as ETBU's pitchers took care of business LETU.
Blake Corbin started the game going just 0.2 innings before Sherman went 5.1 innings for the win. Rece Gustafason,
Alek Arellano, and
Blaine Parker all worked an inning a piece.
ETBU will now wait to see who they will host next Thursday through Saturday in the ASC Tournament. ETBU finished no worse than second place tied with Louisiana College as the Wildcats dropped two games to Belhaven University. The University of Texas Dallas will be the top seed no matter what happens on Sunday due to having the tie breaker over both ETBU and LC. If UTD loses on Sunday, there will be a three-way tie for first place in the ASC.
