BROWNWOOD, Texas – Hardin-Simmons piled up 16 hits and got a strong start from Jack Kimsey in a 13-4 American Southwest Conference baseball victory over Howard Payne on Thursday at Don Shepard Park.

The Cowboys scored in five different innings and broke the game open with a four-run ninth.

Paul Samaripa led Hardin-Simmons at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a double, home run, three runs scored and an RBI. Benji Fielder finished 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs, while Hunter Trojacek added three hits and drove in a run. Cannon Negron had two hits and an RBI, Gavin Bruning collected two hits and an RBI, and Jacob Hollingsworth drove in a run. Catcher Ridings added an RBI and scored once.

Kimsey gave the Cowboys eight innings a career high, allowing four runs on nine hits with six walks and four strikeouts to earn the win. He held Howard Payne scoreless in five of his eight innings of work before Bradley Fletcher tossed a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.

Hardin-Simmons grabbed a 4-1 lead through three innings, then added three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to pull away. The Cowboys capped the scoring with four runs in the ninth.

Howard Payne had three different hitters with two hits each and four different hitters with an RBI.

Kimsey picked up the win to improve to 3-2 on the year. Luke Watkins dropped to 2-6 with the loss on the mound.

Hardin-Simmons improved to 18-13 overall and 1-4 in ASC play. Howard Payne fell to 13-18 overall and 0-5 in conference play.

The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 4 p.m. in Brownwood.
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