CONWAY, Ark. – Coming down to their final at-bat, no. 4/5 East Texas Baptist University erupted for 10 runs in the top of the ninth inning earning a come-from-behind win over Hendrix College, 12-10, in a mid-week, regional game. ETBU is now 28-6 on the year and went 2-0 vs. Hendrix in mid-week games.
Down five runs, 7-2, headed into the top of the ninth inning, ETBU posted seven hits with a double, a triple and a home run collecting 10 runs. Hendrix tried a comeback on their own with three runs in the bottom of the inning to make the final, 12-10.
Five players had two hits as ETBU finished with 13.
Dylan Burnaman,
Nicolas Chavez,
Brett Wagner, Michael Gallegos, and
Nick Massarini all had two hits. Wagner and Chavez each had a home run. Chavez led the team with four RBI as Burnaman and Wagner added three RBI. Massarini had one RBI.
Nine pitchers were used in the game as
Brayden Hodges worked the eighth inning for the win which was his first of the year. The pitching staff had four strikeouts as
Preston Crow,
Tate Sloan, Hodges, and
Robert Croft all had one strikeout. Hodges,
Matthew Irwin, and
Tate Sloan all worked one inning not allowing any runs or hits.
Hendrix jumped out to a 6-0 lead with two runs in the first, one in the second, and three in the fifth. Chavez hit a two-run home run in the sixth to cut the lead to four, 6-2, as the second batter of the inning and no outs. Hendrix answered with a run in the bottom of the inning making it 7-2.
With only six hits, two runs and two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, ETBU headed to the ninth down to their last three outs trailing by five runs. After a Massarini walk and
Jacob Evangelista double, Burnaman singled in a run to make it 7-3. Connor Massamini then walked and Chavez followed with a two RBI single to left field as both Burnaman and Evangelista scored to put ETBU within two, 7-5.
Hendrix swapped pitchers at this point with no outs and three runs giving up. Wagner came in and his seventh home run of the year for three RBI and the lead, 8-7. After an ETBU strikeout, Landin Durdin singled but then another fly out put it at two outs in the inning. Massirini came back up for the second time in the inning and tripled to right center field for a RBI and an two-run lead, 9-7. Evangelista then walked and Burnaman picked up two more RBI in the inning with a double as both Evangelista and Massarini touched home making it 11-7. A passed ball and then a wild pitch allowed Burnaman to come in as ETBU finished with 10 runs in the inning and a five-run lead, 12-7.
The bottom of the inning made ETBU a little nervous as Hendrix scored three runs with two coming on an ETBU error with two outs to come within two, 12-10. With the go-ahead run at-bat, Croft came through as the Hendrix batter grounded out to end the rally giving ETBU their 28
th win of the year.
ETBU will host Texas Dallas this weekend with a double header on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday.
