BROWNWOOD, Texas – Taking a doubleheader in American Southwest Conference play, No. 20/25 East Texas Baptist University swept Howard Payne University on Friday. ETBU won game one, 8-4, and opened up their offense in game two with a 17-3. ETBU is now 19-10 and 6-1 in the ASC.
ETBU recorded 23 hits and 25 runs with seven extra-base hits with five doubles, and two home runs.
Joaquin Costa was 4-of-8 with one RBU and three runs scored.
Luke Bumpus,
Ben Lea, and
Hunter Rumachik all had three hits.
Nicolas Chavez led the team with a home run and four RBIs, and Bumpus and
William Howard added three RBIs. Lea,
Carson Livesay, and
Nathan Harmon had two RBIs, and
Ryan Ruff gave one RBI.
Matthew Irwin earned the win in game one, going five innings with five strikeouts on eight hits and four earned runs.
Tyler Bogusz won game two with a five-inning performance, three strikeouts on five hits, and no earned runs.
Game 1
ETBU 8, HPU 4
ETBU scored seven runs in the first two innings and held onto an 8-4 win over HPU. Irwin went five innings for the win with five strikeouts.
Trip Barron went the final two innings for the save with three strikeouts.
Bumpus and Lea provided two hits and two RBI each. Howard added three RBI with one hit.
ETBU had a five-run first inning as Bumpus brought in the first run with a single, scoring Finn. Lean then singled to left field as Livesay came in for a 2-0 lead. Howard had a two RBI hit making it 4-0 and
Jacob Newland finished off the scoring grounding into a double play as Rumachik came in for the five-run lead.
Bumpus had a sac fly in the second for the sixth run, and Lea singled in another run, making it 7-0. In the fourth inning, Howard doubled in Bumpus for the final run, moving the lead to seven, 8-1. HPU Scored one in the fourth and two in the sixth, cutting the lead to four, 8-4.
Game 2
ETBU 17, HPU 3
ETBU's offense was alive in game two over HPU and was highlighted by a seven-run sixth inning and a second seven-run rally in the ninth.
ETBU opened the scoring in the first inning, with
Luke Finn advancing to third on a groundout and scoring on a wild pitch. Howard Payne managed to load the bases but was unable to capitalize, leaving ETBU with a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
In the third inning, the Tigers extended their lead when Costa doubled and stole home, bringing the score to 2-0. Howard Payne threatened with a runner on third but was held scoreless through three innings.
ETBU broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring seven runs. Lea and Rumachik started with singles, followed by a grand slam from Chavez, clearing the bases. Livesay then hit a two-RBI single, followed by a solo home run from Bumpus, giving ETBU a 9-0 lead.
Howard Payne responded in the bottom of the sixth with two runs, taking advantage of a wild pitch, but ETBU maintained a commanding 9-2 lead at the end of the inning.
In the ninth inning, the Tigers added six more runs to seal the game. Harmon hit a double for two RBIs, and an error allowed two more runs to score, pushing the lead to 17-3. Howard Payne was retired in order in their final at-bat, securing a 17-3 victory for ETBU.
Bogusz delivered a strong performance with five innings pitched, allowing no earned runs and striking out three while walking two. He managed to keep the Howard Payne batters in check, conceding only five hits.
Tate Sloan had a brief 0.1 inning appearance, giving up two earned runs on one hit and two walks. Walter Bockelman contributed 1.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run, striking out two batters and issuing one walk.
Brayden Hodge pitched two innings, allowing one earned run on one hit, including a triple while striking out one.
Finn emerged as a key contributor for the Tigers, recording three runs and two stolen bases in their matchup, leading the team in both categories. Chavez made a significant impact with four RBIs, including a home run, and added two hits and two runs to his performance. Costa also stood out with three hits, including a double and three stolen bases, contributing to three runs scored. Additionally, Bumpus provided power with a home run and an RBI, complementing his single hit and run scored.
ETBU will finish the four-game series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Brownwood.
