MARSHALL, Texas – Pitching a shut out while scoring 10 runs, East Texas Baptist University cruised to the American Southwest Conference Blue Bracket Championship game over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 10-0. ETBU is now 31-11 and heads to their second straight bracket championship game after winning the Red Bracket in 2021.
 
Sayers Collins went eight innings in the run-ruled game recording seven strikeouts giving up just two hits. He now has 115 strikeouts on the year and needs just three strikeouts to break the single season record of 117 set by Marty Mayfield in 2001. He retired the side in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings, too.
 
ETBU had just seven hits on the day but five of them were for extra bases. Austin Barry led the team with two hits and three RBI recording a double and a home run. Will Kelley also had two hits with two RBI and a home run. Jase Jones recorded a triple for two RBI while Christopher Robinson had a RBI.
 
The scoring came fast and furious for ETBU scoring three in the first and five in the second for an 8-0 lead after two innings. Robinson recorded his RBI in the bottom of the first with a single to right center field as Carson Wilson came in. Kelley then scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead and then Barry doubled in Robinson for the third run of the inning.
 
It was the second inning that made the difference in the game pushing the lead to 8-0. Kelley started the scoring with a single through the left side as Jake Miller came in making it 4-0. Jones then cleared the bases with a triple as both Robinson and Kelley came in pushing the lead to six runs. Barry followed with a two-run home run for the 8-0 lead.
 
Kelley then homered in the seventh inning for the ninth run of the game and then Miller scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning to end the game on a run-rule, 10-0.
 
ETBU will play the winner of UMHB/McMurry in the Blue Bracket Championship game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday after with a trip on the line to the ASC Gold Bracket Championship Series.