BELTON, Texas – A pitching duel of D3baseball.com Top 25 teams finished with a gem as no. 5 East Texas Baptist University shutout no. 20 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-0, to win the series. In game one of the double header on Saturday, UMHB had one hit for a two-run blast as they upset ETBU, 2-1. ETBU is now 17-6 on the year and 8-1 in the American Southwest Conference. In ETBU's first 23 games, ETBU has played 14 games against teams that are either ranked now or receiving votes.
In the two tight knitted games, ETBU produced just 12 hits as
Dylan Burnaman,
Brett Wagner, and
Jacob Evangelista all had three hits each. Burnaman, Wagner, and
Connor Massimini all had one RBI.
Sayers Collins received his first loss of the year in game one giving up just one hit that was a two-run home run.
Landry Powell and
Peyton Miller combined for the shutout win and 14 strikeouts in game two. Powell received the win and Miller the save. On the day, ETBU used just four pitchers.
Game 1
UMHB 2, ETBU 1
The Tigers couldn't get their offense going in game one as they produced five hits in the 2-1 loss. Collins went 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts but gave up one hit which was a two-run home run.
Robert Croft finished the final 0.2 innings not allowing a hit.
Five different players had one hit in Evangelista,
Landon Durdin, Wagner,
Justin Blancaflor, and Burnaman. Massimini had the lone RBI on a sacrifice fly.
UMHB's only hit came in the third inning on two-run home run for a 2-0 lead. ETBU had chances in the final three innings to take the lead but could not get the hit needed. In the fifth inning, they had runners on first and second with one out but couldn't bring in a run. The sixth inning brought one run with the first out on a sacrifice fly by Massimini. A ground out and then caught stealing ended any momentum as ETBU cut the lead to one, 2-1. In the seventh inning, the tying run was on third bas with no outs but a fly out ended the game an any chances of a win.
Game 2
ETBU 3, UMHB 0
In another pitching duel, ETBU came out on top as Powell and Miller combined to shut down UMBH recording 14 strikeouts. Both pitchers had seven strikeouts as Powell went 4.1 innings giving up just one hit and Miller 4.2 innings and three hits.
ETBU had seven hits as three players each produced two hits a piece in Evangelista, Burnaman, and Wagner. Burnaman and Wagner each had a RBI.
The first run of the game came in the first inning as Wagner doubled in Evanglista from second base with a hit to right field with two outs. In the third, ETBU had runners on second and third with two outs but a strikeout ended the threat. In the seventh inning with two outs, a walk started an ETBU rally. Massimini was walked and then
Nicolas Chavez singled. A wild pitch followed that allowed Massimini to score from second base for the 2-0 lead. Two walks took place after that to load the bases, but a fly out to centerfield put an end to ETBU breaking open the game.
In the eighth inning, Burnaman singled with one out to left field as
Carson Wilson came in for the three-run lead.
UMHB had a chance to tie the game in the fourth inning with a runner on third base with two outs, but a ground out ended the inning. Powell started the fifth inning and the first batter struck out. Two straight walks followed and Miller entered the game. The first batter was hit by the pitch to load the bases with just one out. Miller struck out the next batter and a fielder's choice put an end to the biggest Crusader threat of the game.
Miller retired the side in the sixth inning, struck out three batters in the seventh with one hit, and then retired the side in the eighth inning. In the ninth, after two straight groundouts started the inning, UMHB had a single and an error for two runners on. Another single loaded the bases with two outs, but the final out came on a fielder's choice to second base as ETBU earned the win.
ETBU will host Hendrix College on Tuesday and then have a three-game series with McMurry on Thursday and Friday next week.
