ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team had its best offensive day of the season in a 20-7 run-rule win in seven innings over American Southwest Conference foe Howard Payne on Thursday night at Hunter Field in Abilene.
The Cowboys pounded out 24 hits, including 10 straight in an 11-run third inning.
Jacob Hollingsworth had a monster game as he tied the HSU single-game record for home runs with three and drove in eight runs in a 4-for-4 effort.
Howard Payne jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but it was short lived. Landon Prestage had a two-run home run in the first inning and HPU scored three runs on six hits in the second inning.
Cowboy freshman starter
Jack Kimsey settled in and did not allow another run until the fifth. He sat down 11 straight in that stretch and he went on to finish the game for his first collegiate win. He allowed seven runs on 11 hits and struck out three.
The HSU offense had Kimsey's back. HSU scored a pair of runs in the second inning on a Hollingsworth home run to right center and a
Cannon Negron RBI single. They were just getting started.
Hollingsworth had a sacrifice fly to bring home a run with second out of the inning.
Jake Trapani then doubled and all nine batters had a hit and Trapani had two as HSU had 10 straight hits against two different pitchers.
Layden White added an RBI single in the fourth and
Baylan Vaughan had an RBI fielder's choice. Hollingsworth then belted a grand slam on the first pitch he saw from new reliever Cody Morris. Hollingsworth added his third home run in the sixth inning to end the HSU scoring.
HPU starter Bryant Chambers took the loss allowing 12 runs on 14 hits in two and two-third innings. Grant Pfaff and Hunter Rasnick-Pope had two hits each for HPU.
Eight Cowboys had at least two hits - Vaughn,
Brock Calvillo, Trapani, Negron and White each had three hits.
The Cowboys are now 8-24 overall and 5-8 in league play. Howard Payne fell to 9-27 overall and 1-12 in conference play. The two teams will play a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Friday.
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