MARSHALL, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team dropped a pair of games to East Texas Baptist 16-8 and 8-1 on Sunday to see its season end in the American Southwest Conference Tournament final.  

In the first game, the Cowboys jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with a run in the first inning and three more in the second. Colby Seltzer tied the school record with his 16^th home run of the season in the first inning. Kyler Reed had an RBI single in the second and Jeremy Colon added a two-run home run.

ETBU tied the game in the third inning with a grand slam by Brett Wagner. The game then went into a 1:32 lightning and rain delay. On the first pitch after the delay, Luke Kirkbride hit a solo home run for the Cowboys. Karson Leatherwood added an RBI single later in the inning to give HSU a 6-4 lead.

The Tigers then rolled off 12 straight runs to open a 16-6 lead. Seven of those runs came on home runs. HSU added two runs in the ninth on Gannon Azios' third home run of the tournament.

Brandon Girard started for the Cowboys and Caleb Smith, Alex Carte and Kolten Kitchens each worked out of the bullpen. Smith took the loss. Leatherwood led the Cowboy offense with four hits.

Jacob Sherman started for the Tigers and allowed four runs, Matthew Irvin worked three innings, Trent Clark earned the win with two scoreless innings and Ben Burroughs closed the game out. Four Tigers had two hits each.

The Cowboys were undefeated in the tournament and it forced an if necessary game.

In the second game, Carson Wilson had a home run for ETBU in the first inning. HSU tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning but the run was taken off the board because of an illegal bat sticker after about a 20-minute delay.

ETBU then scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. On an RBI single by Jacob Evangelista and an RBI groundout by Jake Miller.

The starters Caidon Livingston and Jaeger Neely then put up zeros for three straight innings. ETBU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Miller RBI single and an Evangelista sacrifice fly. Jase Jones added a two-run home run in the seventh. Miller added an RBI single in the eighth.

Kyler Reed had an RBI groundout in the ninth for the Cowboys.

Livingston allowed five runs over six innings. Johnny Follett and Jaydon Stephens worked in relief for the Cowboys. Leatherwood led the offense with two hits.

Neeley went eight innings and allowed no runs and just four hits. Cody Johnson worked the ninth. Jones had three hits for the Tigers.

HSU finished its season with a record of 22-23 and finished as the ASC runner-up for the fourth time. ETBU won its first title after also finishing as the runner-up on three occasions.

Colon, Leatherwood, Azios and Kirkbride were named to the all-tournament team.  

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