ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team opened its weekend American Southwest Conference series with a LeTourneau with a 6-5 victory on Friday afternoon at Hunter Field.

Caleb Smith came on in relief and was dominant for the Cowboys as he went four and two-third innings allowing just two hits to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Caidon Livingston got the start for the Cowboys and allowed four earned runs on four hits over four and one-third innings.  

Weston McKinkley gave LeTourneau a 1-0 lead in the third with a solo home run to left. Cody Stanley added an RBI single in the fourth.

Jett Forrest tied the game for the Cowboys with a two-run single in the fourth and Sam Buchkowski gave HSU a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly.

LeTourneau answered with three runs in the fifth on an RBI groundout and a two-run single by Stanley.

Gannon Azios tied the game in the sixth with a two-run triple and Corey Ballew had what turned out to be the game-winning RBI with a groundout in the sixth.

Nick Ellington, Forrest and Azios each had two hits for the Cowboys. Cody Stanley had two of the six LeTourneau hits and drove in three runs.

Jared Schurig took the loss for LeTourneau allowing six runs on nine hits in eight innings to fall to 2-3 on the year.

HSU is now 8-9 overall and 6-7 in conference play. LeTourneau fell to 6-14 overall and 3-10 in league play. The two teams will play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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