Marshall, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' baseball team fell to the LeTourneau YellowJackets in the American Southwest Conference tournament, 7-6, on Saturday evening in Marshall.
The Cowboys opened the game by scoring two runs in the first inning.
Quincy McGraw singled and advanced to second on an error.
Baylan Vaughan laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error by the pitcher.
Brock Calvillo singled, allowing Vaughn to come home. HSU had runners on first and second when
Karson Leatherwood was called out for using a defective bat, ending the Cowboy threat.
LeTourneau answered with a solo home run by Dane Jones in the bottom of the first inning.
Hardin-Simmons picked up three more runs in the second inning, all coming with two outs. McGraw picked up his second hit with a single to right. Vaughn followed with a single, and Calvillo singled to left to plate McGraw.
Justin Blancaflor singled up the middle to bring home Vaughn.
Jacob Hollingsworth kept the rally going with a base hit to right, scoring Calvillo.
The YellowJackets got back on the board in the fourth inning. Hayden Norris was hit by a pitch and Brice Cagle reached via a walk. Zach Baker laid down a bunt for a hit to load the bases. Austin Wiederhold hit a grand slam over the right field wall to tie the game at 5-5.
Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings. HSU got a run in the seventh when
Jake Trapani scored on an RBI groundout by
Layden White.
LeTourneau answered in the eighth when Baker got a base hit to center to plate Norris. HSU had runners on first and second in the ninth when LETU ended the threat. The YellowJackets won the game in the ninth when Jack Kale got the game-winning RBI with a single up the middle to score Jones.
Freshman
Jack Kimsey got the start for the Cowboys and went seven and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and striking out four YellowJackets. Dalton Pickett started for LeTourneau, going six and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs on 13 hits.
McGraw led HSU with three hits and two runs. Calvillo, Blancaflor, and Leatherwood all had two hits for the Cowboys. Baker, Jones, and Wiederhold all had two hits for LeTourneau.
Clayton Holt picked up the win for LeTourneau in relief, improving to 5-1 on the year.
Alex Carte took the loss and fell to 4-8 on the season.
LeTourneau improved to 23-19 on the season while the Cowboys closed the year with a 13-26 record. This marks the final game for the 14 Hardin-Simmons seniors.
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---
