MARSHALL, Texas – In walk-off fashion, no. 4 East Texas Baptist University won the NCAA Division III Marshall, Texas Regional Tournament, 6-5, over no. 25 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Tied at five in the bottom of the ninth inning, Nick Massarini singled up the middle as Charles Gordon came in from second base beating the throw home for the win. ETBU has now won back-to-back Marshall, Texas Regional Tournaments and is 39-8 on the year. They will host the Super Regional Tournament next Friday and Saturday.
 
It was ETBU's pitching that kept them in the game as the offense left 11 players on base in the game. In his biggest start of his young career, freshman Landry Powell went six innings allowing three earned runs on four hits but struck out a career-high 11 batters. Brayden Hodges came in relief followed by Robert Croft who went two innings with three strikeouts, two hits, and no runs. Peyton Miller then earned his sixth win of the year pitching the final inning not allowing anything as CMS went 1-2-3.
 
ETBU posted 13 hits with one home run by Connor Massimini. Cameron French and Massarini both had three hits while Jacob Evangelista and Dylan Burnaman added two hits. Massimini collected two RBI as Evangelista, Burnaman, Brett Wagner, and Massarini had one RBI.
 
Massimini put ETBU up, 2-0, in the top of the first as the third batter of the day with a two-run homer over the left centerfield wall. CMS cut the lead to one, 2-1, in the second inning but ETBU scored two in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.
 
Evangelista made it 3-1 with a long single to third base as French came in. Burnaman followed with a fielder's choice that allowed Nicolas Chavez to score making it 4-1. CMS added two in the sixth pulling within one, 4-3. In the bottom of the inning, Wagner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded giving ETBU a two-run advantage, 5-3.
 
CMS went after Hodges in the top of seventh as the bases were loaded with no outs. Croft came in getting two ground outs and strike out but two runs came in to tie the game. The eight inning brought a single to start for CMS but Croft struck out the next two batters before an intentional walk and a regular walk took place to load the bases with two outs. The next CMS batter popped up to Carson Wilson at second base to end the threat.
 
Miller came on in the top of the ninth and retired the side with two groundouts and a fly out setting up ETBU's walk-off win. After a strikeout, French singled to right field and then was pinch ran for by Gordon. After a foul out gave ETBU two outs, Massarini singled up the middle as Gordon booked it home from second base for the winning run.
 
ETBU will now host no. 12 Pomona-Pitzer on Friday and Saturday in the Super Regionals at Tiger Ballpark at Woods Field.