ABILENE, Texas – A strong pitching performance from a trio of hurlers along with four runs of support through the first three innings of action would prove to be more than enough for the LeTourneau University baseball team in a 5-2 road win over McMurry University at Walt Driggers Field in Abilene, Texas on Friday, March 8th.
LETU picks up a win in the series opener for the first time this season to improve to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in American Southwest Conference play while the War Hawks fall to 6-9 overall and 0-1 in the ASC.
The YellowJackets took control of things from the start, collecting three hits from the first four batters with a sacrifice bunt coming as the only non-hit in the opening stage of the game as
Jacob Jones would hit a two-RBI double to put LeTourneau up 2-0. LETU would then work around a hit batter and two-out single to hold the War Hawks scoreless before looking to add to their lead in the top of the third.
With the top of the lineup back up to lead things off, LETU would take advantage of two errors and
Bryce Brueggemeyer two-run homer to left field to go up 4-0 through three innings of play as starting pitcher
Kolbey Sharpe would keep McMurry in check. Both squads would then settle in and lock down on defense as it would take until the bottom of the sixth for either team to put more than one baserunner aboard in an inning as LeTourneau would maintain their four-run lead.
Despite seeing their offense be held to just two hits in the fourth through eighth innings, LETU would manage to hold McMurry to the same type of offensive help as it would take the War Hawks until the bottom of the eight to get on the board. MCM would do their best to take advantage of a leadoff walk and one-out error by the YellowJackets to plate two runs but would still face a 4-2 deficit heading to the ninth.
In their final at-bat of the evening, LeTourneau would manage to spark a two-out rally with a
Lee Hosie double down the left field line before
Brandon Ramirez and Brueggemeyer would both draw walks to load the bases. A wild pitch would bring Hosie home to give LETU an insurance run going into the back end of the ninth where sophomore
Kolton Eberlan would shut down the War Hawks and record three strikeouts to the four batters he faced to earn his second save of the season and give the YellowJackets a three-run victory.
Picking up his first victory of the season would be Sharpe as the sophomore would toss 5.1 innings of work while striking out five batters and allow just two hits. The YellowJacket pitching staff would be dominant all night, recording 12 strikeouts and inducing 10 fly outs while also getting four groundouts on 130 total pitches.
The YellowJacket offense would be led by Hosie and Ramirez with two hits each, while Brueggemeyer and Jones each drove in a pair. Brueggemeyer would officially end his day one-for-one at the plate after drawing three free passes and laying down a sacrifice in his only other at-bat.
LeTourneau will close out their final weekend series in Abilene tomorrow as the YellowJackets will face off against the War Hawks twice more beginning at 1 p.m. The first game will consist of a seven-inning contest with the series finale scheduled to be a full nine-innings.
