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Contributed by: Dave Beyer, McMurry Sports Information Director
PINEVILLE, La. - McMurry University baseball clawed its way back to the .500 level, sweeping an ASC doubleheader at Louisiana College. The War Hawks (15-15) won the twinbill over the Wildcats (7-20) at Billy Allgood Field.
Senior reliever Ricky Lopez - the War Hawks' second pitcher of the evening - was the benefactor of McM's four-run sixth inning that provided the difference in the game. After starter Benjamin Russell allowed two walks and a double to open the bottom of the fifth, Lopez was called upon to restore order after the Cats tied the game at 4-4 in the frame.
Russell gave up three of LC's five hits and was charged with four runs, three earned.
In the top half of the sixth, McMurry took control of the game. Noah Clarkson had a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second. Two successive walks loaded the bases for Ty Kirk, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center which made it 5-4.
With two runners still on base the next McM batter - designated hitter Tyler Jenkins - cracked his team-leading fifth home run of the season to make it 8-4. The three-run blast ended up providing his team with its margin of victory.
Freshman Juan Valadez was called upon to pitch the final two innings for McM. The Cats were able to scratch out a run in their half of the sixth, but were retired in order in the seventh for the 8-5 final.
Jenkins was 1-for-2 with four runs batted in and two runs scored.
Kirk (2-3) and Matt Chalk (2-4) were the only War Hawks with multiple hits. Each also had an RBI. As a team, McM had a total of nine hits off of Louisiana College pitching.
In the nightcap, junior Garrett Johnston threw a gem for McM head coach John Byington. Johnston went 8.0 innings, scattered eight hits and permitted just two runs. He had three strikeouts and one walk in improving his personal record to 3-2. LC scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
McMurry never trailed in the game. The War Hawks scored early, plating a run in the first inning. With two out, three-successive singles by Kirk, Jenkins and Chris Baker made it 1-0. In the fourth, Nicholas Moore led off with a double, took third on a passed ball and scored on Robert Whites single to left.
McM added a pair of runs in the fifth. After a one-out double by Jenkins, he came home on Baker's RBI single up the middle. Baker went all the way to third on a throwing error and eventually came in on a Chalk single to make it 4-1.
Still ahead 4-2 through eight frames, McM called on Will Dunlap to close out the victory with a scoreless ninth inning of work, to earn his second save of the year.
The War Hawks Nos. 4-6 slots proved deadly for the Wildcats. Jenkins was a perfect 4-for-4 hitting in the No. 4 position in the War Hawks' batting order. Baker, batting fifth, was 3-for-4. Each had a run and one RBI. Hitting No. 6, Chalk was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Moore was the team's fourth player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
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PINEVILLE, La. - McMurry University baseball clawed its way back to the .500 level, sweeping an ASC doubleheader at Louisiana College. The War Hawks (15-15) won the twinbill over the Wildcats (7-20) at Billy Allgood Field.
Senior reliever Ricky Lopez - the War Hawks' second pitcher of the evening - was the benefactor of McM's four-run sixth inning that provided the difference in the game. After starter Benjamin Russell allowed two walks and a double to open the bottom of the fifth, Lopez was called upon to restore order after the Cats tied the game at 4-4 in the frame.
Russell gave up three of LC's five hits and was charged with four runs, three earned.
In the top half of the sixth, McMurry took control of the game. Noah Clarkson had a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second. Two successive walks loaded the bases for Ty Kirk, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center which made it 5-4.
With two runners still on base the next McM batter - designated hitter Tyler Jenkins - cracked his team-leading fifth home run of the season to make it 8-4. The three-run blast ended up providing his team with its margin of victory.
Freshman Juan Valadez was called upon to pitch the final two innings for McM. The Cats were able to scratch out a run in their half of the sixth, but were retired in order in the seventh for the 8-5 final.
Jenkins was 1-for-2 with four runs batted in and two runs scored.
Kirk (2-3) and Matt Chalk (2-4) were the only War Hawks with multiple hits. Each also had an RBI. As a team, McM had a total of nine hits off of Louisiana College pitching.
In the nightcap, junior Garrett Johnston threw a gem for McM head coach John Byington. Johnston went 8.0 innings, scattered eight hits and permitted just two runs. He had three strikeouts and one walk in improving his personal record to 3-2. LC scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
McMurry never trailed in the game. The War Hawks scored early, plating a run in the first inning. With two out, three-successive singles by Kirk, Jenkins and Chris Baker made it 1-0. In the fourth, Nicholas Moore led off with a double, took third on a passed ball and scored on Robert Whites single to left.
McM added a pair of runs in the fifth. After a one-out double by Jenkins, he came home on Baker's RBI single up the middle. Baker went all the way to third on a throwing error and eventually came in on a Chalk single to make it 4-1.
Still ahead 4-2 through eight frames, McM called on Will Dunlap to close out the victory with a scoreless ninth inning of work, to earn his second save of the year.
The War Hawks Nos. 4-6 slots proved deadly for the Wildcats. Jenkins was a perfect 4-for-4 hitting in the No. 4 position in the War Hawks' batting order. Baker, batting fifth, was 3-for-4. Each had a run and one RBI. Hitting No. 6, Chalk was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Moore was the team's fourth player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
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