LONGVIEW, Texas - Limited offensive output and two big innings by Sul Ross State University would be too much for the LeTourneau University baseball team to overcome in losses by scores of 5-3 and 6-0 at Conrad-Vernon Field in Longview, Texas on Sunday, April 8th.
The losses leave LETU with a 16-12 overall record and 8-6 mark in the American Southwest Conference while the ASC-leading Lobos improved to 19-11 overall and 13-4 in conference.
Game One:
An early 1-0 lead after one inning of play did not prove to be enough as the Lobos would respond with a run of their own in the top of the second and take a 2-1 lead in the top fo the third on a two-out RBI single. The score would remain at 2-1 in favor of SRSU until the top of the sixth when a leadoff single followed by back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no outs for Sul Ross. A strikeout would set the YellowJackets up to find their way out of the inning, but see a balk and a throwing error allow for three runs to score in the inning to put the Lobos up 5-1.
LeTourneau would look to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh and final inning of the opener, using a
Will Bradshaw two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-3 before putting the game-tying run on second on a
Jacob Jones double with one out. A groundout followed by a walk loaded the bases for LETU, but a groundout ended the rally short as the Lobos would claim the series opener by a two-run margin.
Despite allowing just two runs on two hits,
Luke Ludwig took his first loss of the year after going five innings and striking out five.
Ryder Lognion (0.1 innings) and
Kolton Eberlan (1.2 innings) also made an appearance in the game.
Of the five-hit output from LeTourneau, five different YellowJackets recorded a hit in the game with the six-seven-eight hole hitters of Jones,
Noah Mahoney, and
Carson Dickey each providing one hit. Three of LETU's five hits managed to go for extra-bases, but not enough timely hits were found to make the difference.
Game Two:
A dominant pitching performance from the Lobos shut the YellowJackets out for just the second-time all season as LETU would scrape together seven hits, but only one inning with more than one hit recorded. Two scoreless innings to start things made way for a pair of two-out doubles down the left field line to score the game's opening run for Sul Ross in the top of the third, finding a hole in the LeTourneau defensive lineup to push across a run.
SRSU added a single run in the top of the sixth after taking advantage of a leadoff single and stolen base coupled with a throwing error by LETU, sending things to the late innings with a two-run cushion. Things would be broken open in the seventh as the Lobos pushed across four runs on three hits and two errors, but left two runners stranded as part of seven runners left on base throughout the game.
The YellowJackets started to make some noise and mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with one-out, but an inning-ending double-play killed momentum as the Sul Ross lead stayed at 6-0. LETU would manage to put their first two runners aboard in the bottom of the eighth inning and again look to finally push a run across, but a second-consecutive inning-ending double play kept the deficit where it would end up as a final margin.
Starter
Andrew Harlan fell to 2-3 overall after taking the loss, throwing six and one-third innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and striking out three.
Nate Hoelker faced four batters in one-third of an inning before seeing
Haden Simmons pitch the final 2.1 innings of the game.
More offensive woes saw the seven-hit performance by LETU come in the form of singles, with Dickey, Jones, and
Lee Hosie having two hits apiece. The only other hit of the game came for LeTourneau came off the bat of Mahoney, with eight total runners being stranded by the YellowJackets.
LETU will look to salvage the series tomorrow afternoon with a rare Monday game against the Lobos. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Conrad-Vernon Field.
