BROWNWOOD, Texas – Another long road trip turned into a double header sweep for East Texas Baptist University as they took two games from Howard Payne University, 7-1, and 8-3, in American Southwest Conference play. ETBU is now 10-2 and 8-0 in the ASC.
Sayers Collins produced another strong outing going six innings for his fourth win of the year striking out 12 batters.
Braden Karnes worked the seventh inning earning one strikeout and no runs. In game two,
Cole Godkin pitched eight innings to move to 2-0 recording seven strikeouts and two earned runs.
Peyton Miller finished the ninth inning allowing no runs and had one strikeout.
Nick Massarini led the team with four hits and five RBI with a home run and a triple.
Carson Wilson added three hits and a RBI.
Will Kelley and
Brett Wagner both had three hits and two RBI. Also adding a RBI was
Austin Barry and
Zachary McAdams.
Game 1
ETBU 7, HPU 1 – 7 inning game
ETBU erupted for four runs in the second inning to take command of the game. Wagner scored the first run on a Barry fielder's choice and then Massarini had an inside-the-park home run bringing in three runs for the 4-0 lead. HPU earned their only run in the second inning as Collins streak of 22 innings of not giving up any runs came to an end.
Massarini then made it 5-1 in the fourth inning on a triple to centerfield as Barry came in.
Zachary McAdams then hit in Massarini as ETBU took a five-run lead, 6-1. Wilson finished off the scoring with a single up the middle as ETBU won, 7-1.
Massarini was 2-of-4 at the plate with four RBI to lead the team. Collins struck out the first three batters of the game and had 12 overall.
Game 2
ETBU 8, HPU 3
The first six innings of the game were close as ETBU had a 3-2 lead. It was four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth that opened up the game for ETBU in the 8-3 win.
Jake Miller, Kelley, Wagner, Wilson, Barry, and Massarini all had two hits. Kelley and Wagner added two RBI while McAdams and Massarini added one RBI. Godkin gave up just two earned runs with seven strikeouts for the win.
Miller was the first run of the game after stealing third and then came home on a throwing error. HPU tied the game in the bottom of the first inning and then ETBU took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a Kelley triple to right center field. In that same inning, Kelley scored on a passed ball for the two-run advantage, 3-1. HPU cut the lead to one, 3-2, in the sixth inning.
The difference came in the eighth inning when ETBU scored four runs. McAdams had a sac fly to centerfield as Barry made it 4-2. Kelley then singled in Massarini for the fifth run as Wagner followed with a two RBI single making it 7-2. HPU broung in one run in the bottom of the eighth but Massarini finished with a sac fly for the 8-3 final.
The two teams will play a nine-inning game on Monday at 1:00 p.m. to finish out the series.
