HALLSVILLE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball season had its season on the line and came up big with a 7-5 win over LeTourneau on Sunday afternoon in American Southwest Conference baseball action at Hallsville High School.
 
Kyler Reed put the Cowboys on the board in the first inning with an RBI single.
 
HSU pushed the lead to 4-0 in the second inning when Luke Kirkbride had a bases loaded walk and Baylan Vaughan followed with a two-run single through the left side.
 
Kirkbride added a two-run single in the sixth inning when he smashed a hit by a drawn in infield to centerfield.
 
Dane Jones hit his 18^th home run of the season and fourth of the series in the sixth inning a two-run shot for LeTourneau. Ethan Wood added a two-run single later in the inning to narrow the Cowboys' lead to 6-4.
 
Grant Mitzelfelt started and went five and two-third innings to earn the win and improve to 3-5. He allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out three.
 
Jaydon Stephens relieved Mitzelfelt and hit the first batter he faced but worked out of a jam in the sixth. He worked 1-2-3 seventh and eighth innings.
 
Sam Buchkowski gave the Cowboys a 7-4 lead with an RBI double in the ninth inning.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, LeTourneau scored on a Dane Jones single and had runners at second and third with two outs but Stephens got a pop up to end the game and record his fourth save of the year.
 
Buchkowski and Jett Forrest had three hits each for the Cowboys as part of a 17-hit attack. Jones had two hits and drove in three for LeTourneau.
 
The Cowboys are now 13-22 overall and 8-13 in conference play. LeTourneau fell to 14-22 and to 7-14 in ASC play. HSU will host the University of Dallas on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
 
HSU will host McMurry next weekend to try to advance to the ASC postseason.
 
 
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