MARSHALL, Texas – A slow start for East Texas Baptist University ended with an eruption of runs in the doubleheader sweep of Concordia University Texas in the season opener. ETBU trailed early in game one, 3-0, before coming back for the 5-4 win and then scored seven unanswered in game two for the four-run victory, 8-4. ETBU is now 2-0 and has a 44-game regular season home winning streak.
Katelynn Jones went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI to lead ETBU in her first collegiate game. Izabella Morales added two hits for three RBI, while Tauryn Cummings had a double for two RBI. Maddie Melton recorded the win in game one and went 2-of-4 on the day with two RBI. McKenzie Jones, who also had an RBI, received the win in game two with three strikeouts.
Game 1
ETBU 5, CTX 4
After a scoreless first two innings, CTX brought in one run in the third and two in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. ETBU responded with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the game at three. Melton doubled in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-3 lead. CTX then added a run in the top of the seventh.
Cummings went 2-of-3 with two RBI and a double, and Mary Frances Ellis also had two hits. Melton recorded two RBI, and Morales added one. Avery Holland started the game for the no-decision, going four innings with one strikeout. Melton finished up the final three innings with one strikeout for the win.
After CTX went up 3-0, Cummings had a one-out double to right center field that brought in
Katelynn Jones and Morales. In the fifth inning, Morales came through with a two-out single to left field as Ellis scored from second base to tie the game at three. Melton then made it three innings in a row for ETBU to score as she doubled in
Aleyna St. Jean and
Ava Rodriguez with two outs to break away from the tie, 5-3.
Game 2
ETBU 8, CTX 4
ETBU unleashed eight runs on nine hits for an 8-1 lead after three innings. CTX scored three runs in the fourth to cut the lead down to four, but Benavides pitched the final two innings to shut down the Tornados.
Jones went 3-of-3 for three RBI, and Morales had two RBI. McKenzie Jones earned a RBI on a walk. Six different players had one hit.
McKenzie Jones earned the win going five innings with three strikeouts. Benavides finished the final two innings, allowing just one hit and three strikeouts.
Morales singled in the first run of the game in the first inning as Tristen Maddox came in. Katelynn Jones earned her first RBI in the second inning on a hard hit to the second baseman as Melton was the second run. Morales grounded out in the same inning as McKenzie Jones became the third run. ETBU added five runs in the third inning as CTX had two errors. McKenzie Jones walked for the first run with the bases loaded for a 4-1 lead. Katelynn Jones followed with a two-out double to centerfield for two RBI as the third run came in on a run down, making it 7-1. An error allowed Jones to score on Melton's at-bat for the 8-1 lead. CTX followed with three runs in the fourth before Benavides came in the sixth inning.
Benavides retired the first three batters with a pop-up, strikeout, and ground out. After a double to start the seventh, she had two strikeouts and fly out to end the game.
ETBU will host Southwestern University on Friday at 3:00 p.m. on February 7.
