War Hawks Drop Two at Hardin-Simmons
By: McMurry Athletics
Updated: April 6, 2012
ABILENE, Texas - What
started out as a promising series after Thursday's big win, turned sour
on Friday as McMurry University's baseball team lost a doubleheader to
crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons University, 17-13 and 18-2, at Hunter
Field.
The losses dropped the War Hawks to 17-16 overall and 11-4 in American Southwest Conference West Division action. Perhaps more importantly, the setbacks knocked McMurry's team from atop the ASC West perch heading into next weekend's all-important series at home versus leader Concordia-Texas.
Game one would have made Alfred Hitchcock proud. What started off with the appearance of a McMurry highlight film in the top half of the first inning, quickly turned into a horror movie the rest of the game with an unhappy ending for the War Hawks, 17-13.
Before the majority of the fans had even settled into their seats, McMurry had its biggest inning of the season by scoring 11 runs in the opening frame. The War Hawks sent 15 batters to the plate and had 10 hits.
Much like the series' opener on Thursday night, the opening salvo was delivered off the bat of senior first baseman Matt Thompson (3-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI). Thompson crushed a two-run home run to right field that drove in Dylan De Leon (3-5, 3 runs, 3 RBI), who had reached after delivering an RBI double for the first run of the game, to make it 3-0.
DeLeon would add another RBI double later in the first as a part of McM's hit parade.
Staked to the 11-0 lead - and with HSU starting pitcher Eric Zamora chased from the game - McM starter Jacob Dentoni couldn't have asked for more before throwing a single pitch.
However, the Cowboys were not ready to ride off into the sunset so early in the day. HSU jumped on Dentoni for seven runs (one earned) to end his stint after just 2/3 of an inning.
The first inning finally came to a close after 57 minutes, a combined 18 runs and 17 hits, and with the War Hawks clinging to an 11-7 advantage.
The Cowboys would complete their comeback in the bottom of the second, pushing across five runs to lead 12-11. After the first one-half inning, HSU outscored the War Hawks 17-2 and out-hit them by a 17-6 margin.
In the top of the third, an RBI single by McM's Connor Griffith (3-5) tied things at 12-12 and the visitors re-took the lead, 13-12, on a fielder's choice RBI by Marcellous iggins.
After a scoreless fourth, the Cowboys tallied three in the fifth and two in the sixth on its way to the game one victory.
Nick Marsh (2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Bradd Baker (2-4, run, RBI) and Kory Moench (2-4, run, RBI) all had multi-hit games for McMurry.
Caleb Gonzales, the third of McM's four pitchers, took the loss with 3 2/3 innings of relief. Gonzales allowed four hits and three runs (two earned) as his personal record fell to 2-2 on the year.
Game two saw the War Hawks plate a pair of first innings runs to lead 2-0 on a two-run single by Andrew Bell. But that would be the extent of McMurry's offense for the nightcap.
Conversely, HSU responded with 18 unanswered runs. The Cowboys scored in every inning of the 10-run rule shortened game, tallying two in the bottom of the first, two in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth and eight in the sixth, 18-2.
Marsh went 2-for-4 in the game, scoring once. Jacob Bermejo was 2-for-3.
McM starter Zach Matthys (3-4) took the loss, lasting two innings. Matthys allowed five hits and five earned runs, walking four.
The losses dropped the War Hawks to 17-16 overall and 11-4 in American Southwest Conference West Division action. Perhaps more importantly, the setbacks knocked McMurry's team from atop the ASC West perch heading into next weekend's all-important series at home versus leader Concordia-Texas.
Game one would have made Alfred Hitchcock proud. What started off with the appearance of a McMurry highlight film in the top half of the first inning, quickly turned into a horror movie the rest of the game with an unhappy ending for the War Hawks, 17-13.
Before the majority of the fans had even settled into their seats, McMurry had its biggest inning of the season by scoring 11 runs in the opening frame. The War Hawks sent 15 batters to the plate and had 10 hits.
Much like the series' opener on Thursday night, the opening salvo was delivered off the bat of senior first baseman Matt Thompson (3-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI). Thompson crushed a two-run home run to right field that drove in Dylan De Leon (3-5, 3 runs, 3 RBI), who had reached after delivering an RBI double for the first run of the game, to make it 3-0.
DeLeon would add another RBI double later in the first as a part of McM's hit parade.
Staked to the 11-0 lead - and with HSU starting pitcher Eric Zamora chased from the game - McM starter Jacob Dentoni couldn't have asked for more before throwing a single pitch.
However, the Cowboys were not ready to ride off into the sunset so early in the day. HSU jumped on Dentoni for seven runs (one earned) to end his stint after just 2/3 of an inning.
The first inning finally came to a close after 57 minutes, a combined 18 runs and 17 hits, and with the War Hawks clinging to an 11-7 advantage.
The Cowboys would complete their comeback in the bottom of the second, pushing across five runs to lead 12-11. After the first one-half inning, HSU outscored the War Hawks 17-2 and out-hit them by a 17-6 margin.
In the top of the third, an RBI single by McM's Connor Griffith (3-5) tied things at 12-12 and the visitors re-took the lead, 13-12, on a fielder's choice RBI by Marcellous iggins.
After a scoreless fourth, the Cowboys tallied three in the fifth and two in the sixth on its way to the game one victory.
Nick Marsh (2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Bradd Baker (2-4, run, RBI) and Kory Moench (2-4, run, RBI) all had multi-hit games for McMurry.
Caleb Gonzales, the third of McM's four pitchers, took the loss with 3 2/3 innings of relief. Gonzales allowed four hits and three runs (two earned) as his personal record fell to 2-2 on the year.
Game two saw the War Hawks plate a pair of first innings runs to lead 2-0 on a two-run single by Andrew Bell. But that would be the extent of McMurry's offense for the nightcap.
Conversely, HSU responded with 18 unanswered runs. The Cowboys scored in every inning of the 10-run rule shortened game, tallying two in the bottom of the first, two in the second, four in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth and eight in the sixth, 18-2.
Marsh went 2-for-4 in the game, scoring once. Jacob Bermejo was 2-for-3.
McM starter Zach Matthys (3-4) took the loss, lasting two innings. Matthys allowed five hits and five earned runs, walking four.
