ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team lost a slugfest on Saturday against Belhaven, falling 15-10 to drop the American Southwest Conference series at Hunter Field.

HSU trailed most of the game and rallied in the eighth inning to tie the game at 10-10. Belhaven came back with five runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead and win.

Freshman Zach Hudson had an RBI in the second inning for HSU and the Cowboys trailed 6-1 going to the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Collin Ethridge then hit a grand slam for HSU in the fifth. Belhaven added two runs in the sixth to make it 8-5 on a Lucido RBI single and a sacrifice fly.

HSU received a home run from Kolsen Powers in the sixth and he added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 8-7. Lucido hit a two-run homer for Belhaven. HSU tied the game in the eighth on sacrifice flies by Ethridge and Gabe Moore and Jeremy Colon had an RBI single. Belhaven scored five runs on six hits in the ninth.

Every Cowboy that batted had at least one hit in the contest. Colin Ethridge led the way with three hits and five RBIs. Nick Lucido had five hits and drove in four runs for the Blazers.

The Cowboys used five different pitchers in the game. John Clift started and allowed six runs on 10 hits in four innings of work. Orel Rhodes worked one and one-third innings, Grant Mitzelfelt (1-1) took the loss allowing six runs in three innings and Sam Buchkowski and Kadin Croak each recorded an out in the ninth.

Will Swift won the game in relief for the Blazers to improve to 1-0.

The Cowboys are 1-2 on the year and 1-2 in ASC play. Belhaven improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in ASC action. HSU will host Trinity on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

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