SHREVEPORT, La. – After a cold burst of winter through East Texas, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team started the 2022 season a day later against Willamette University (OR) coming up shy of victory, 11-9. ETBU is now 0-1 on the year.
 
Brett Wagner, Christopher Robinson, and Ben Lea all had two hits. Wagner and Lea led the team with two RBI each. Cole Godkin started the game going five innings for the no decision recording three strikeouts giving up four earned runs on five hits. Peyton Miller took the loss in 0.2 innings of work as five earned runs were scored. Braden Karnes (2 IP), Daniel Rubio (0.1 IP), and Tyler Schwenn (1 IP) all saw work on the mound.
 
ETBU started off with a bang in the first inning scoring six runs. Robinson singled in two runs as Will Kelley and Jake Miller scored and then Wagner came in on a bad throw for a 3-0 lead. Lea followed with a triple as Carson Wilson and Robinson came in for a 5-0 lead. Austin Barry then made it 6-0 on a sacrifice fly as ETBU took the momentum.
 
Over the next five innings, Willamette scratched away at the lead and pulled wot within two, 6-4, after the fifth inning. Zachary McAdams singled up the middle in the sixth inning as Mason Bobo crossed the plate making it, 7-4. Willamette answered in the seventh with a run, 7-5, but ETBU had a two-run bottom of the inning for a 9-5 lead. Wagner doubled in Kelley and then Wilson had a sacrifice bunt for the four-run lead.
 
It was then in the top of the eighth that Willamette capitalized on ETBU with five runs for a one-run lead, 10-9. They then added an insurance run in the ninth making it 11-9. ETBU didn't have a threat in the eighth or ninth inning as Willamette took the first game.
 
ETBU will play Centenary College and then Willamette again on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Gent's Classic.