A two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, by Sul Ross State's Turner Mattson, spoiled a comeback attempt by the LeTourneau University baseball team.  Sul Ross scored a 9-8 victory on Thursday night in Alpine.
 

The YellowJackets, (22-10, 16-9 ASC), had clawed its way back from an early 6-0 deficit to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the ninth until the two-run homerun by Mattson.

In the loss, graduate student Garrett Methvin and junior Chris Bertram each had three hits. Senior Jon Riley was the losing pitcher, who falls to 0-2.

The Lobos, (16-16, 12-13 ASC), scored five runs in the first inning and held a 7-1 lead until the top of the sixth inning when LeTourneau began to mount a comeback. Sul Ross State finished the contest with 16 hits including three each from Josh Vasquez, Connor Griffith and Shane Sawyer. Hunter Flake, who pitched the ninth, got the win to improve to 2-2.

Facing a 7-1 deficit in the sixth, Chris Bertram and junior David Perkins hit two-out RBI singles to cut the deficit to 4, at 7-3. After a scoreless seventh, the YellowJackets tied the game at 7 in the eighth, with four runs on three hits as they sent eight batters to the plate. In the inning, they took advantage of two SRSU wild pitches and an error by the centerfielder. The Jackets picked up a RBI ground out by sophomore Sean Sellers and a RBI single by sophomore Dillon Yates.

In the ninth, with the game tied at 7, the YellowJackets took their first lead of the game after back-to-back doubles by Methvin and Ryan Bertram.  Next, a single by Chris Betram and David Perkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases for LETU.  The Jackets looked to add to their lead with one out, but Sul Ross's Flake escaped damage with back-to-back strikeouts.

In the bottom of the ninth, after a ground out, the Lobos got the tying run aboard on a walk. Then, Mattson ended the contest with the home run.

The two teams will end the three-game series on Friday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.