Cowboys Finish Off Sweep of Schreiner

April 2, 2007

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team continued its hot offensive streak with a 19-15 American Southwest Conference win over Schreiner, Monday afternoon at Hunter Field.

With the win, the Cowboys swept the series and kept their postseason chances alive. HSU is now 15-14 on the year and 4-7 in ASC West action. Schreiner fell to 17-13 overall and 4-8 in ASC West play.

The Cowboys offense gave Cowboy starter Nathan Copeland an 8-0 lead after three innings of play. In the first inning, Blake Koch had an RBI double, Brad Coleman an RBI single and Ryan Stepp an RBI double for HSU. In the second inning, Coleman had an RBI single and Michael Simpson blasted a two-run home run. Ryan Stepp followed with a long home run to right.Trevor Bunte had an RBI double in the third.

Schreiner then knocked Copeland out of the game with six runs in the fourth inning. Matt Langston's three-run home run highlighted the inning. HSU came right back with six runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth to make it 14-6. Danny Ruth and Taylor Lamar had back-to-back RBI doubles and James Gage followed with a two-run home run. After Trevor Bunte walked Taylor Gibbs added another two-run home run.

Schreiner came right back with four runs in the fifth, befor Tim Kreigel came in from the bullpen for the Cowboys and stabilized the game throwing up three straight shutout innings, before Schreiner got to him in the ninth. Kreigel moved to 3-1 with the win out of the bullpen.

Coleman had a solo home run in the sixth and Danny Ruth had a two-run double in the eighth for HSU.

Gibbs had four hits, scored three times and drove in two runs, Coleman had four hits, scored four times and drove in three runs, Simpson had four hits drove in two and scored three times and Stepp had four hits drove in two and scored three times. Every Cowboy starter scored at least one run and drove in at least one run.

HSU moved from seventh to fifth in the ASC standings with the sweep and the top four teams get into the ASC Tournament. The Cowboys will play one of the two teams tied for third place - Concordia-Austin - in a weekend set beginning Thursday in Austin.