MARSHALL, Texas – Down five runs with three innings left to play, East Texas Baptist University came from behind to win the American Southwest Conference Blue Bracket Tournament in 10 innings over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 10-9. With the win, ETBU will now host the ASC Gold Bracket Championship Tournament next weekend at Woods Field. ETBU is now 32-11 on the year and has recorded the most wins since 2005 (34 wins).
Christopher Robinson was the hero in extra innings this time as he singled through the right-side scoring
Jake Miller in the bottom of the 10
th inning for the win. It was his first hit of the game and the biggers RBI of Blue Bracket Tournament. Making the ASC Blue Bracket All-Tournament team were
Cole Godkin,
Austin Barry,
Will Kelley,
Brett Wagner, and MVP
Sayers Collins.
Trent Clark came in relief of starter
Braden Karnes and went six innings recording five strikeouts for his third win of the year. Karnes went four innings with two strikeouts.
Carson Wilson led the team going 4-of-4 with four RBI and a home run. Kelley, Barry, Wagner, and
Zachary McAdams all had two hits. Kelley and Wagner also posted two RBI and home run.
The started off with a bang as Wilson and Kelley homered back-to-back to start the game and a 2-0 lead. Wagner made it 3-0 with a home run in the second inning as ETBU had all the momentum. UMHB, though, switched the excitement back their way in the fourth inning with four runs to take the lead, 4-3. They then added four more runs in the seventh inning pushing the score to 8-3.
ETBU scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull within three. Wilson earned his second RBI as Miller scored to make it 8-4. Kelley then singled in Wilson for the fifth run of the game. UMHB added one more run to take the lead back to four, 9-5, in the eighth only to see ETBU respond with three runs to make it a one-run game. Wilson added two more RBI to the list with a single to center field as Barry and McAdams came in to make it 9-7. He then scored on a wild pitch to come within one, 9-8.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Wagner hit a shot to deep right center field that went to the wall for a double as
Blake Mullen came in from first base to tie the game at nine. UMHB looked to threaten in the top of the 10
th after a strikeout that allowed the batter on first base with no outs. The next batter, though, hit into a double play with the final batter striking out to finish off the inning. That set up the comeback win in the bottom of the 10
th.
Miller walked to start the inning and then advanced to second two batters later on a Wilson single. After UMHB intentionally walked Kelley to load the bases, Robinson singled through the right side for the walk-off win as Miller became the winning run.
ETBU will now face Texas Dallas in a three-game series next weekend at Woods Field for the ASC Championship.