AUSTIN, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team rallied for a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth, but Concordia answered with a two-run walk off home run to beat HSU 6-5 in the first game of the pivotal American Southwest Conference series in Austin on Friday night.

Concordia jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the third inning as Francis Otto had a pair of RBIs and Jayden Hernandez and Kalen Moreno dove in runs.

Weston Hickman put the Cowboys on the board in the fourth with a two-run home run and Nick Ellington had an RBI groundout in the fifth to make it 4-3.

HSU still trailed 4-3 in the ninth when freshman Tristan Laughlin had a pinch-hit home run to tie the game and Brayden Martin had a squeeze bunt that drove home a run.

Aaron Gomez then drew a one-out walk and Dalton Watts drilled a ball over the left field wall for the game winner.

Caidon Livingston went four innings on the mound for the Cowboys allowing four runs on five hits. Hayden Clark came on in relief and tossed four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, allowing just one hit. Wyatt Tumlinson allowed the two runs in the ninth to take the loss.

Colton Hunter started for Concordia and allowed three runs over five innings. Easton Migl worked the final four innings to earn the win and improve to 5-2 on the year.

Mason Dubois led the Tornados with two hits and six different Cowboys had one hit each.

HSU is now 18-16 on the year and 11-14 in ASC action. Concordia is now 13-19 on the year and 12-13 in league play. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at noon.

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