MARSHALL, Texas – Opening the 2021 American Southwest Conference Red Bracket Tournament with excitement, East Texas Baptist University took their first game with a walk-off home run from Christopher Shay in the 11^th inning, 2-1, over Belhaven University. The game winning home run was Shay's first-ever collegiate home run on the second pitch of the at-bat. ETBU now is at 27-14 on the season and won five of their last six games.

ETBU collected seven hits, which included a pair of home runs from Shay and Jake Miller. Shay was also one of two Tigers with two hits along with Christopher Robinson. Cole Godkin received the start and allowed one run on five hits with a career-high nine strikeouts going nine innings. Sayers Collins earned the win in relief allowing one hit and striking out four Blazers in two innings of work.

The Tigers would open a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo shot from Miller. Godkin retired the first nine Blazers in order before giving up a one-out single in the fourth inning. He then received help from his defense, who contributed a double play to end BU's threat.

While ETBU was unable to capitalize with runners on base in the fifth inning, it would be BU who knotted the score in the seventh inning with a RBI single. ETBU would have a chance to score in the eighth before BU held them off. After no winner was decided in the ninth, both teams would have scoring chances in the 10th that came up empty. Collins let two runners on base in the 11th before retiring the final two outs of the inning. That set up Shay to deliver the blast just two pitches into the bottom of the frame for the win.

ETBU stays in the winner's bracket and will host the University of Ozarks at 3:00 PM on Friday with the winner advancing to the Red Bracket Championship game on Saturday.