ABILENE, Texas – McMurry scored seven runs in the eighth inning to rally past Hardin-Simmons 10-5 in the first game of the three-game American Southwest Conference series at Walt Driggers Field on Friday night.

McMurry scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Nick Hamel and Reed Hodges scored on a wild pitch.

Hardin-Simmons responded with a four-run second inning. The Cowboys scored a run on a throwing error and then after a hit by pitch Weston Hickman made it 4-2 with a three-run home run to right.

The War Hawks added a run in the bottom of the second on a Javier Rosa RBI double, but Hickman cut down Rose trying to score on a Koy Carpenter single to keep the lead at 4-3.

Sam Buchkowski had a sacrifice fly for the Cowboys in the third inning to make the score 5-3. Neither team scored again until the decisive eighth inning.  

Caidon Livingston went seven innings for the Cowboys and allowed just three runs on 11 hits. The Cowboy bullpen. Alex Carte came on to start the eighth and walked the leadoff batter Dylan Abbott and hit Xavier Escobar. Blaze Rickerson then put down a bunt and Jaydon Stephens, who had come on slipped as he was fielding the ball and tried to throw to first off balance and the ball got away allowing a run to score. Carpenter had an RBI fielder's choice to tie the game at 5-5.

The War Hawks took the lead on a wild pitch and then Hughes had an RBI single, Hamel an RBI double and Josh Dyer a two-run home run. Stephens took the loss for the Cowboys and Travis Beauchamp worked two scoreless innings for the win. He relieved Derek Hostas who allowed five runs on just two hits and struck out seven.

Hickman, Garrett Frazier and Corey Ballew had the three HSU hits in the game. Hamel and Hodges had four hits each for McMurry.

HSU is now 15-12 on the year and 9-10 in league play. McMurry improved to 14-15 overall and 10-12 in ASC action.

The teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday at McMurry.

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