MARSHALL, Texas -Overcoming a one-run deficit scoring six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, #5 East Texas Baptist University took game one over Howard Payne University, 7-2. ETBU is now 13-4 and 4-0 in the ASC.
 
Dylan Burnaman, Connor Massimini, Hunter Rumachik led the team with two hits. Rumachik added four RBI on a grand slam and Brett Wagner, Landin Durdin, and Burnaman each had one RBI.
 
Using two pitchers, Peyton Miller went the final three innings for the win.  Jagger Neely started the game going six innings with six strikeouts. Miller finished out the remaining three innings with three strikeouts improving to 2-1 on the year.
 
ETBU was down by two in the bottom of the fourth inning, until Landen Durdin singled up the middle batting in Austin Barry for the first run scored. Trailing, 2-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning, a double by Wagner up the middle brought in Jacob Evangelista to tie the game two. Three batters later with the bases loaded, Rumachik hit a grand slam home run as Carson Wilson, Nick Chavez, and Wagner came in for a 6-2 lead. Burnaman singled to the shortstop batting in Durdin to bring the score to 7-2 as ETBU scored six runs in the inning. The Tigers closed out the top of the ninth with two strikeouts by Miller and a caught foul ball from Rumachik to close out the game.
 
ETBU will face off against Howard Payne again tomorrow in a double header starting at 10:00 A.M. in James Morgan Day.