The LeTourneau bats were hot today as they faced Arlington Baptist and Austin College to close their four-game opening weekend. LETU started the day with a 12-7 win over Arlington Baptist and closed the day by defeating Austin College in a close late game battle, 9-8.
 
In the morning contest, the Patriots and Jackets battled in the first inning, collecting three runs each off four and three hits, respectively.
 
LETU took off on Arlington Baptist in the bottom of the second when back-to-back singles by sophomore Jacob Faubion and freshman Zach Cochran lit the sticks for the Jackets.
 
Senior Gonzalo Sosa followed up with fielder's choice that caused errors for the Patriots giving Sosa two RBIs. Sacrifice fly by sophomore Ryan Conger cleared the bases when he brought Sosa across the plate for a RBI. The rally was continued with a double to center field by sophomore Noah Mahoney, who was later brought in by freshman Haden Simmons. Simmons collected the RBI off an error by the Patriots to put LETU up 7-3.
 
Arlington Baptist cut into the lead in the third and fourth innings when they scored four runs, but the YellowJackets held them off with RBI homeruns in back-to-back innings by senior Kyle Jacobs and Faubion, collecting two RBIs each to extend the lead to 12-7.
 
Sophomore JC Ortega picks up his first win as a YellowJacket in the morning contest, allowing two runs on five hits in his three innings as relief. Freshman Tyler Wernli made his first appearance when he closed the game for Ortega, logging two strikeouts and allowing no hits and no runs in the one inning.
 
Faubion, who went 3-for-4 with two singles, a homerun, two runs, and two RBIs led the offense in the first game. Jacobs contributed by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, and Sosa added 3 RBIs.
 
LETU finished off the weekend with a nail-biting win against the Austin College Roos. LeTourneau started off the night with a 3-0 lead after a Kyle Buchanan RBI scored Jacobs due to Roo errors. Senior Carson Dickey added 2 RBIs after his single that scored Conger and Sosa.
 
Austin College came back in the top of the second by scoring four runs off four hits to take the lead until the Jackets tied it up in the third inning off a pass ball that scored Buchanan.
 
The YellowJackets were able to regain the lead in the fourth inning when they put runners on base from walks and scored on a wild pitch. Sosa brought in another run off a RBI single to bring the score to 6-4.
 
The Roos kept the Jackets close when they made their last game impacting at bats in the fifth inning when they scored three runs off one hit to lead one last time at 7-6.
 
The sixth inning was huge for LETU as they sealed their win after bases were loaded from three walks to bring up Sosa who got on from a fielder's choice and picked up a RBI to tie the game. A sacrifice fly from Conger brought in the leading run to set up a clutch RBI double down the right field line from Buchanan that put the Jackets up 9-7.
 
In the final inning, the YellowJackets held off the Roos, only allowing one run to end the nail biter at 9-8.
 
Buchanan led LeTourneau's bats as he went 2-for-4 in the night game with two doubles, one run, and two RBIs. Sosa also contributed a pair of RBIs as he went 1-for-3 with two runs.
 
The win was given to Wernli as he allowed two runs on three hits in two innings, making him 1-0 on the season. Buchanan was awarded the save for his last inning effort to stop the Roos from forcing extra innings. Buchanan had one strikeout and allowed no hits and no runs.
 
LETU improves to 3-1 on the season after the four-game weekend. The YellowJackets will continue their non-conference schedule at home on Friday, February 17^th against Centenary (La.). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Conrad-Vernon Field.