Game 1
Game 2
ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons' baseball team saw
its season come to a close on Saturday as they lost a pair of games
to the University of Texas at Dallas, 14-12 and 19-11, to drop its
American Southwest Conference Championship Series two games to one
at Hunter Field.
As was expected going into the series both teams were able to pile
on the runs and with a south wind blowing out at 25-30 miles per
hour Hunter Field turned into a launching pad. The teams combined
for 21 home runs in the series, including 13 in today's
doubleheader.
In the first game, Hardin-Simmons jumped out to a great start with
seven runs in the top of the first inning. HSU playing as the
visiting team in the format, hit a pair of three-run home runs with
Taylor Berlin and Kevin Ellison connecting.
With NCAA wins leader Kyle Barton on the mound the Cowboys appeared
to be in good shape, but the Comets battled back as Barton allowed
16 hits in five and one-third innings. He allowed 13 runs in the
game.
UTD scored one in the first, three in the second and two in the
third to cut it to 7-6. HSU responded with two runs in the top of
the fourth on a two-run home run by Berlin. UTD came back in the
fourth with three home runs from Chris Bighunet, Randy Lorber and
Jared Smith to take the lead 10-9.
HSU retook the lead in the sixth with three runs, two on a home run
by J.T. Armstrong and another on a double play ground out. The
Cowboys hit into six double plays in the doubleheader.
UTD took the lead for good in the sixth as they scored three runs
to chase Barton. Smith had a three-run home run to right
center.
UTD closer came in and got all three outs of the sixth and then
allowed only one hit over four shutout innings to close the door on
the Cowboys. He earned the win in relief.
Bigunet had four hits and Smith and Lorber each had three hits.
Berlin had three hits and drove in five for the Cowboys.
The second game was more of the same for both teams. UTD scored
four runs in the first inning. Cody Ross had an RBI double, Smith,
Bigunet and Kelly had RBI singles in the inning.
Armstrong put the Cowboys on the board in the second with a solo
home run and James Gage added a solo shot of his own in the inning.
In the third, HSU had a chance to take the lead as they loaded the
bases with no outs, but a double play scored on run but that was
all the Cowboys could come up with.
The Comets busted the game open in the fourth with four more runs
on a two-run single by Ross, an error and a wild pitch. HSU cut it
to 8-5 with a Jaxon Jordan RBI single and a Weeks sacrifice
fly.
It stayed that way until the sixth when the Comets scored three
runs on a Bigunet double, a Smith home run off the foul pole and a
Jacob Starnes RBI single. UTD added two more runs in the seventh to
make it 11-5.
Spinn came on in the seventh for UTD and the Cowboys had a chance
to get to him but again a double play ball cut short a threat.
Armstrong had an RBI single in the inning.
UTD added three runs in the eighth, before the Cowboys answered
with five in the bottom of the eight to cut the deficit to 16-11.
Dixon had a grand slam to give him the Cowboys single-season RBI
record with 56. Matt Roam had a bases loaded walk prior to the
grand slam. The Comets added three more runs in the ninth to make
it 19-11 and the Cowboys went down in order to Spinn in the
ninth.
Spinn earned the save and Chelakis got the win. It is the third
time in four years the Comets have ended the Cowboys season.
Sam Walker took the loss for the Cowboys as he allowed 17 hits and
13 runs in seven innings.
Weeks had four hits to break the HSU single season record with 74
hits. Smith and Ross did the damage in the middle of the order as
they combined to go 9-for-12 with eight runs scored and six
RBIs.
HSU ends its season with a record of 25-18 and UTD improved to
27-16 and they will play in the ASC Championship next weekend in
Mississippi College.
It was the final game for the Cowboys four seniors – Barton,
Gage, Ellison and Michael Morgan.
