March 8, 2008

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team split an American Southwest Conference doubleheader with McMurry on Saturday at Walt Driggers Field, winning the first game 6-5 before dropping the nightcap 16-1.

HSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first game. Freshman Brian Weeks tripled in the first inning and came around to score on a Ryan Stepp single. HSU added three more runs in the second inning on a Kyle Post two-run single and added another on an error. J.T. Armstrong had an RBI double in the third to make it 5-0.

McMurry responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Stephen Derrick had the big blow with a three-run home run. HSU came right back and took the lead at 6-5 when Weeks singled, stole second and score on a two-out single by Wayne Pimpton.

After that it became a pitcher's duel. Lance Johnson (1-0), the Cowboys starter went four and two-third and left after a two-out walk to Derek David in the fifth. Kyle Barton came on and with Brent Voorhees, the ASC's all-time home run and RBI leader, at the plate he picked David off first base.

Barton remained unscored upon this season in 16 and two-third innings of work. He got out of a jam in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts with runners at second and third. He then recorded two outs in the seventh, before a walk and base hit put a pair of runners on for Voorhees. Barton gave way to Alcorn, who struck out Voorhees on four pitches to end the game. It was the 14th career save for Alcorn. Clint Johnston took the loss for McMurry.

The nightcap was all McMurry. After HSU took a 1-0 lead in the third, McMurry came back and scored 16 unanswered runs. Weston Franco had four hits, including a home run, Ross Shores had three hits including a three-run home run and Jake Mullin had a three-run home run for McMurry. Cody Curry improved to 3-0 by allowing only a pair of hits to the Cowboys in seven innings of work.

James Gage had two hits and Ryan Stepp had an RBI single to account for the Cowboys three hits. Starter James Sweatman took the loss.

The Cowboys are now 9-4 overall and 1-1 in league play. McMurry improved to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in ASC play. The teams will have the rubber match of the series on Sunday with the first pitch at 2 p.m.