MARSHALL, Texas – Playing catch up from the first inning, #21/24 East Texas Baptist University's late inning rally fell short of victory, 10-8, as Concordia University Texas took the first game of the American Southwest Conference series. ETBU is now 5-5 on the year and 3-1 in the ASC.
 
Jacob Evangeilsta led the team with three hits and two RBI while Carson Wilson, Brett Wagner, Jase Jones, and Jake Miller all had two hits. Nick Massarini and Ben Lea both had two RBI while Christopher Sha added one along with Miller. ETBU posted two home runs in the game as Le and Miller each had one. Evangelista, Wilson, Shay, and Jones all had a double. Cole Godkin received the loss going 5.1 innings with three strikeouts giving up seven runs, six earned, on six hits. Peyton Miller worked 2.2 innings getting five strikeouts and Cody Johnson finished with one strikeout.
 
CTX scored right from the beginning with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. ETBU struck back in the bottom of the second inning as Lea had a sacrifice fly and then Evagelista doubled in Austin Barry and Jones to tie the game at three. ETBU gave up a home run in the fourth inning but then Lea tied in the bottom of the inning with his own home run. CTX then scored six more runs over the next five innings for a 10-4 lead.
 
Headed into the bottom or the ninth down six, ETBU scored four runs and was threatening to tie the game. Miller homered for the first run of the inning followed by Shay's double to make it 10-6. Massarini then singled up the middle as both Shay and Wilson came in to come within two, 10-8. Just as it looked like ETBU would pull to within on a Jones double, Massarini was thrown out at home trying to cut the lead to one. That out ended the game as CTX prevailed by two.

The two teams will play a double header on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m.