MARSHALL, Texas – Scoring 20 runs in a double header sweep of Concordia University Texas, #21/24 East Texas Baptist University improved their American Southwest Conference to 5-1. ETBU is now 7-5 overall and is in first place in the ASC.
Sayers Collins recorded eight strikeouts and no earned runs for his third win of the year.
Robert Croft came in as a reliever in game two recording his first collegiate win with four strikeouts.
Brett Wagner had six hits on the day for four RBI with a double and a home run.
Jacob Evangelista finished with four hits and four RBI with a double.
GAME 1
ETBU 8, CTX 1
Collins went six of seven innings for the win allowing just five hits and no earned runs while posting eight strikeouts.
Matthew Irwin worked the seventh inning recording on strikeout and no hits. Wagner went 3-of-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the team.
Ben Lea followed with a home run going 2-of-3 for two RBI. Evangelista,
Carson Wilson, and
Jordan Hara all had one RBI.
Austin Barry added two hits.
ETBU started off strong in the first inning as a run came in on an error and then Wagner doubled in Hara and Wilson for the 3-0 lead. Wilson made it 4-0 in the second inning on a single to right field as Lea scored. Hara grounded out scoring Evangelista for a 5-0 lead after two innings. In the third, Evangelista walked with the bases loaded to earn a RBI making it 6-0.
CTX scored their lone run in the fourth inning to come within five, 6-1. Lea finished out the scoring in the fifth on a shot to left center field for the 8-1 final.
GAME 2
ETBU 12, CTX 5
Putting up big numbers in four of the nine innings, ETBU swept the day taking the final game, 12-5. Four pitchers were used in the win as
Jagger Neely started the game going 2.2 innings with two strikeouts.
Jacob Sherman followed with 1.1 innings of work and two strikeouts. The two combined gave up four earned runs after four innings. Croft came in in the fifth inning going 3.1 innings for the win with four strikeouts and one earned run on three hits.
Braden Karnes then finished off the Tornados in 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and no hits or runs as the staff recorded 10 strikeouts on the day.
Three players had double digits in hitting as Evangelista was 3-of-5 for three RBI. Wagner also added three hits for two RBI and two runs scored. Both Wilson and
Parker Perez added two hits and one RBI.
Jake Miller finished with one RBI along with
Austin Barry.
After two scoreless innings, CTX scored two runs in the top of the third. ETBU matched it to tie the game at two. Evangelista doubled in Lea and then Barry hit a sacrifice fly scoring Miller to tie the game. ETBU added two more runs in the fourth inning as Wagner scored on wild pitch and Jones came in on a fielder's choice for the 4-2 lead.
CTX tied the game again in the top of the fifth at four before ETBU scored eight runs over the next three innings. ETBU made it 8-4 after the bottom of the fifth. Perez brought in the first run on a single to right field and then Wagner swatted a two-run home run for the 7-4 lead. Miller made it 8-4 on a double to left field. In the seventh inning, Jones scored on an error to record the first run of the inning. Evangelista added two more runs with a single up the middle and Wilson doubled down the left field line as Evangelist was the final run to go up, 12-4. CTX had one run scored in the eighth to make it 12-5.
ETBU will host Hendrix College on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in a regional game at Woods Field.
