LA VERNE, Calif. – In a close game of the final series in California, no. 9/10 East Texas Baptist University's comeback was shy of a win as no. 18 University of La Verne held on in the ninth, 9-7. ETBU is now 1-4 on their California trip, as they have played four of their five games against ranked opponents.
 
William Howard, Nathan Harmon, and Nick Massarini each had two hits, while Ben Lea led the team with two RBI. Jacob Newland, Carson Livesay, Harmon, and Massarini each had a RBI. ETBU had 12 hits with one double but left 16 guys on bases, with the bases loaded three times.
 
Four pitchers saw action on the mound as Matthew Krall started going 3.1 innings, giving up six runs, four earned, on six hits. Carson Speegle and Nolan Bushko each worked 1.1 innings. Trip Barron finished the final two innings, receiving the loss. ETBU had one recorded strikeout from Speegle with two errors.
 
ULV scored seven runs over three innings for a 7-2 lead. They started with four runs in the third inning and two in the fourth for a 6-1 lead. Hunter Rumachik was ETBU's first run, coming in on a fielding error. In the fifth, Lea singled in the second run to come within five, 7-2.
 
In the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, ETBU left the bases loaded as in three of the innings they had one out with runners in scoring position.
 
ETBU's offensive found their grove in the seventh inning with four runs. Harmon and Newland singled in runs to cut the lead to two, 7-5. Lea was then walked with the bases loaded to come within one, 7-6. With the bases loaded and one out, ETBU hit into two fielder's choice to end the inning. Massarini singled in the eighth inning to score Connor Massimini, tying the game at seven. ULV took the lead in the bottom of the inning with one out on a wild pitch and a single for the two-run lead, 9-7. ETBU was retired in the top of the ninth as ULV took the first game of the three-game series.
 
The two teams meet again on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. central time.