IRVING, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' bats came alive in an 18-6 run-rule victory over the University of Dallas in baseball action on Tuesday afternoon in Irving.

Senior Hayden Clark received the win for the Cowboys. Working five innings and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out two. He allowed just one hit over his last four innings of work.

It was a rewarding victory for the resilient Clark who took an extra year of eligibility to keep his career going and for a chance at this kind of moment. Due to a variety of factors – injuries, losing a season to COVID, bad luck and some ineffectiveness – it was the first win for Clark since May 3, 2019.

Clark had plenty of offensive support and his catcher Jett Forrest started a huge day with an RBI single in the first. UD scored twice in the first on a double and a single.

The Cowboys came back with five runs in the second inning. Carson Braun, who was getting his first career start at shortstop, had a two-run single. Brayden Martin continued his hot hitting with an RBI single, Forrest added another RBI single and Corey Ballew had a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.

Forrest added to the lead in the fourth with his seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field. The Cowboys plated six more runs in the fifth inning. Martin had an RBI single, Garrett Frazier and Forrest had back-to-back walks with the bases loaded Gannon Azios had a two-run single Sam Buchkowski an RBI grounder. Martin added an RBI single in the sixth to make it 16-2.

Kolten Kitchens and Pato Wray each worked an inning in relief for HSU. Colby Fuller took the loss allowing 10 runs in four innings of work.

Forrest had four hits and six RBIs and Martin added four hits and drove in three runs. HSU had 17 hits in the game.  

The Cowboys improved to 7-9 on the year and UD fell to 6-8. HSU returns to action Friday at 3 p.m. when it hosts LeTourneau in a crucial American Southwest Conference series at Hunter Field.

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