KERRVILLE, Texas – The bats would be alive and well for the LeTourneau Univeristy baseball team in an 8-2 game one victory over Schreiner University before being limited to just four hits in a 5-1 loss to earn a series-opening split at Bob Henry Field in Kerrville, Texas on Sunday, February 25th.
 
LETU's record remains .500 at 4-4 overall following the split while Schreiner University improved to 5-8 overall.
 
Game One:
Junior Andrew Harlan would get all the run support he would need to earn the victory in the second and third innings, throwing six full innings of work to improve to 1-1 overall while allowing two runs on five hits. Kolton Eberlan would throw the final inning of work, issuing one free pass.
 
Leadoff hitter Eli Birriel was a key to the offensive production in the game, going three-for-four at the plate and driving in four runs while cleanup hitter Noah Mahoney went a perfect four-for-four at the dish and driving in one run. Jacob Jones and Lee Hosie would also collect multiple hits in the game, with each player going two-for-three in addition to stealing one base each.
 
The YellowJackets wouldn't have to wait long to get on the board in game one, using a Mahoney two-out double to score Gonzalo Sosa from first after the senior would reach base following a fielder's choice. Schreiner would threaten in the bottom half of the first, but see LETU get out of the jam with an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 1-0.
 
Two more runs would come around to score for LeTourneau in the top of the second, again using two-out magic with Birriel and Hosie collecting back-to-back RBI hits to put LETU up 3-0. The Mountaineers would respond with a single run in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI double, but see the YellowJackets break out for four runs on five hits in the top of the third to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Weston McKinley would drive home Mahoney to put LeTourneau up 4-1 which would be followed by a Jacob Jones single to load the bases with no outs. Following a pitching change and pop up to the shortstop, Will Bradshaw would collect an RBI on a fielder's choice before Birriel would deliver with a two-RBI single.
 
Schreiner added a single run in the bottom of the third, but Birriel would collect his fourth RBI of the day in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly to keep the advantage at six.
 
Game Two:  
The nightcap saw starting pitcher Bryce Brueggemeyer (0-3) throw 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and issuing two walks while striking out just one batter. Sophomore Haden Simmons would get the final four defensive outs for LeTourneau, giving up just one hit to the eight batters he faced.
 
Leaving runners on base would be a cause for concern for LETU, with seven runners winding up stranded. Brandon Ramirez and Sosa would be responsible for all four YellowJacket hits in the game, with Ramirez recording the only extra-base hit for LETU.
 
After leading the entire game in the series opener, LeTourneau would allow the Mountaineers to take a 1-0 lead after one inning following a leadoff walk and two-out RBI single. A scoreless second would make way for SU to add another run in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a YellowJacket error to double their lead to 2-0 with LETU still looking for their first hit of the game.
 
A Sosa single would be all that LeTourneau could come up with in the top of the fourth, but would hold Schreiner to just a leadoff single to keep the score at 2-0 in favor of the Mountaineers with the middle of the lineup due up. Carson Dickey would draw a leadoff walk to start the top of the fifth inning and work his way over to third on a Ramirez double before Bradshaw would drive home what would be LETU's only run of the game on a groundout to second base. Schreiner would go on to match LeTourneau's run in the fifth inning, using a leadoff single and two-out RBI single to keep their advantage at two runs heading to the sixth.
 
LETU would go hitless in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, seeing their deficit double as Schreiner would score two runs on three hits and one error but leave two runners on base as Simmons would get out of the jam. The YellowJackets would finally see the bats wake up in the top of the ninth, with Sosa hitting a leadoff single and Dickey drawing a one-out walk to put two runners on base. Following a fly out to center field, Ramirez would load the bases with a single and bring the game-tying run to the plate before seeing the Mountaineers end the game with a strikeout to earn the split.
 
Tomorrow will feature a mid-morning game, with an 11 a.m. first pitch to start a series-deciding game three.