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Contributed by: Chad Grubbs, HSU Director of Athletic Communications
MARSHALL, Texas - It was 18 innings of gut-wrenching twists and turns, but the Hardin-Simmons baseball team prevailed 8-6 over East Texas Baptist in a winner-take-all final of the American Southwest Conference Championship Red Bracket to advance to next weekend's ASC Championship Series.
The Cowboys had lost the first game 12-11 to East Texas Baptist to force the "if necessary" game. HSU will play host to Texas-Tyler next weekend in a best two-of-three series for the American Southwest Conference title. The Patriots beat Texas Dallas in the "if necessary" game of the blue bracket on Sunday.
Friday's game will be at 6 p.m. at Hunter Field.
Game 2
Ty Engelhardt pitched into the eighth inning for the Cowboys, after not going more than four and one-third innings at any point this season. He scattered 11 hits and four runs to pick up the win and improve to 3-2 on the year.
Taylor Cooling led off the game with a long home run to left to set the tone and Colton Parker had a two-run shot later in the inning. ETBU scored a run on a Kameron Sumrall RBI groundout in the first.
Jamie Ball doubled to start the third for HSU and scored on a pair of wild pitches and Parker hit his second two-run home run of the game and fourth home run of the tournament to make it 6-1.
ETBU chipped away with a two-run home run by Conner Combs in the third and a Tyler Bates RBI signle in the fourth. Cooling had an RBI single in the sixth for HSU and Colton Spears had a solo home run to lead off the eighth making it 8-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, the first two men reached for ETBU and Blake Northrop came on and induced a double play on the first man he saw and then a ground out to get out of the inning.
After a scoreless HSU ninth, Brice Winter walked for ETBU and Mason Aldredge reached on an error and Jacon Rader singled to center to load the bases with no one out. Northrop then forced a 4-6-3 double play as a run scored to make it 8-5. Dynas Doud followed with an RBI single to short and Connor Combs singles and Sumrall walked to load the bases, but Northrop got a fly ball out of Casey Combs to end the threat and give the Cowboys the win.
Cooling and Spears had three hits each for HSU and Parker drove in four runs. Rader, Bates and Connor Combs had three hits each for ETBU.
Game 1
HSU started strong in game one with a Colson Craddick sac fly and a two-run home run by Parker. ETBU answered with five runs in the first and the slugfest was on. Bates had a home run and Casey Combs had a three-run home run.
Zack de Luna homered and Cody Berryman had an RBI single for the Cowboys in the third and Caleb Jacques and de Luna homered in the fourth but four more runs by ETBU in the fourth made the score 12-8.
Garrett Reed came on for the Cowboys and was lights out. He allowed a run in the first inning he was in then went four scoreless frames to give the Cowboys a chance to come back. Jeremy Hallmark started and allowed eight runs on 10 hits to take the loss. Jacob Wadle won the game in relief for ETBU with four innings of two-run ball and Jordan O'Bannon recorded the final five outs for the save.
The Cowboys scored a run in the sixth on a balk and Colson Craddick had a two-run single in the eighth to make it 12-11.
De Luna had four hits and scored five times for HSU. Craddick drove in three runs on three hits and Jacques also had three hits. Casey Combs had four RBIs and Rader three hits to pace ETBU.
HSU is now 28-16 on the year and ETBU is now 31-14.
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MARSHALL, Texas - It was 18 innings of gut-wrenching twists and turns, but the Hardin-Simmons baseball team prevailed 8-6 over East Texas Baptist in a winner-take-all final of the American Southwest Conference Championship Red Bracket to advance to next weekend's ASC Championship Series.
The Cowboys had lost the first game 12-11 to East Texas Baptist to force the "if necessary" game. HSU will play host to Texas-Tyler next weekend in a best two-of-three series for the American Southwest Conference title. The Patriots beat Texas Dallas in the "if necessary" game of the blue bracket on Sunday.
Friday's game will be at 6 p.m. at Hunter Field.
Game 2
Ty Engelhardt pitched into the eighth inning for the Cowboys, after not going more than four and one-third innings at any point this season. He scattered 11 hits and four runs to pick up the win and improve to 3-2 on the year.
Taylor Cooling led off the game with a long home run to left to set the tone and Colton Parker had a two-run shot later in the inning. ETBU scored a run on a Kameron Sumrall RBI groundout in the first.
Jamie Ball doubled to start the third for HSU and scored on a pair of wild pitches and Parker hit his second two-run home run of the game and fourth home run of the tournament to make it 6-1.
ETBU chipped away with a two-run home run by Conner Combs in the third and a Tyler Bates RBI signle in the fourth. Cooling had an RBI single in the sixth for HSU and Colton Spears had a solo home run to lead off the eighth making it 8-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, the first two men reached for ETBU and Blake Northrop came on and induced a double play on the first man he saw and then a ground out to get out of the inning.
After a scoreless HSU ninth, Brice Winter walked for ETBU and Mason Aldredge reached on an error and Jacon Rader singled to center to load the bases with no one out. Northrop then forced a 4-6-3 double play as a run scored to make it 8-5. Dynas Doud followed with an RBI single to short and Connor Combs singles and Sumrall walked to load the bases, but Northrop got a fly ball out of Casey Combs to end the threat and give the Cowboys the win.
Cooling and Spears had three hits each for HSU and Parker drove in four runs. Rader, Bates and Connor Combs had three hits each for ETBU.
Game 1
HSU started strong in game one with a Colson Craddick sac fly and a two-run home run by Parker. ETBU answered with five runs in the first and the slugfest was on. Bates had a home run and Casey Combs had a three-run home run.
Zack de Luna homered and Cody Berryman had an RBI single for the Cowboys in the third and Caleb Jacques and de Luna homered in the fourth but four more runs by ETBU in the fourth made the score 12-8.
Garrett Reed came on for the Cowboys and was lights out. He allowed a run in the first inning he was in then went four scoreless frames to give the Cowboys a chance to come back. Jeremy Hallmark started and allowed eight runs on 10 hits to take the loss. Jacob Wadle won the game in relief for ETBU with four innings of two-run ball and Jordan O'Bannon recorded the final five outs for the save.
The Cowboys scored a run in the sixth on a balk and Colson Craddick had a two-run single in the eighth to make it 12-11.
De Luna had four hits and scored five times for HSU. Craddick drove in three runs on three hits and Jacques also had three hits. Casey Combs had four RBIs and Rader three hits to pace ETBU.
HSU is now 28-16 on the year and ETBU is now 31-14.
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