LONGVIEW, Texas – A day after pulling out an extra-innings win, the LeTourneau University baseball team would split a pair of one-run games by winning 7-6 in eight innings before falling 5-4 in the series finale to Howard Payne University at Conrad-Vernon Field in Longview, Texas on Friday, April 12th.
Grabbing two of three games from the American Southwest Conference leaders, LETU is now 20-14 overall and 9-6 in the ASC while Howard Payne remains atop the conference at 21-12 overall and 14-4 in conference action.
Game One:
Howard Payne made the most of a leadoff single in the top of the first as a stolen base and groundout would put HPU in position to take a 1-0 lead off an RBI single. LETU would get out of the inning with a double-play as the lone run ended up being the only run through the first three-plus innings of the game.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, LeTourneau would put five of the first six batters of the inning on-base as
Noah Mahoney would drive in
Bryce Brueggemeyer to tie things at 1-1 before a
Will Bradshaw fielder's choice and
Kyle Guevara RBI single put LETU up 3-1. LeTourneau would wind up stranding two runners however as HPU would limit the damage going to the fifth.
After a single-run by Howard Payne in the top of the fifth, LETU would manage to add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth by taking advantage of three hits and a Howard Payne error to score
Cody Lee and Guevara to put LeTourneau up 5-2. It would appear to be all for not however as Howard Payne responded with a two-run home-run to pull within one at 5-4 with just one out in the top of the seventh. Following a hit batter, HPU reclaimed the lead on their second two-run homer of the inning as it would be LeTourneau who would have to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh to try and extend the game.
A Brueggemeyer leadoff triple got things started for LETU as a Mahoney sacrifice fly knotted the game at 6-6, with things eventually going to extra-innings for the second-straight contest. In the extra frame, HPU would be held hitless before seeing LeTourneau make the most of a hit batter as
Lee Hosie would steal second on a strikeout to allow
Brandon Ramirez to play the role of hero with a game-ending RBI single to center field.
Earning the victory in relief would be
Raul Martinez after throwing the final 1.2 innings of the game and striking out two while not allowing a hit to Howard Payne. A 10-hit outing for the LETU offense would be paced by Brueggemeyer, Mahoney, and Guevara with a pair of hits each as the trio combined for three RBI.
Game Two:
Offense once again appeared to be limited in the early going for both HPU and LETU as the game would feature only one run through three innings of play. The run would come in the bottom of the second as Bradshaw would be hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and move around the bases on a Guevara single, Lee sacrifice bunt, and
Jacob Jones sacrifice fly.
Things would be broken open by Howard Payne in the top of the fourth as four hits and a LeTourneau error would lead to five runs to knock out LETU starting pitcher
Andrew Harlan from the game. Mahoney would help LeTourneau get a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run to make the score 5-2 in favor of Howard Payne going to the fifth.
LeTourneau would appear to manage a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez would drive in Hosie to cut the HPU lead to two. A strikeout on a passed ball would extend the inning as Brueggemeyer would reach first and see
Chaz Jackson race home from second to make the score 5-4 in favor of Howard Payne.
Defense would then step up for LeTourneau with a one-two-three inning in the sixth before LETU would strand the game-tying runner at second as HPU maintained their one-run lead. A chance for Howard Payne to extend their lead in the top of the seventh would be thwarted as a leadoff single and walk would be followed by a strikeout, flyout and lineout to keep things at 5-4. Put in the same position as game one of the doubleheader and needing a run to extend the game, LETU would be unable to put a runner aboard as Howard Payne would grab the final game of the series with all three games decided by one-run each.
Despite out-hitting Howard Payne 7-5 in the game, LETU would be unable to make the most of their four stranded runners in the contest as five strikeouts also did not help their cause. The seven hits would come from seven different player for LeTourneau with most of the damage coming from the middle part of the lineup.
What's Next?
A short week due to Easter finds LeTourneau traveling once more in the regular season as the YellowJackets go to Austin, Texas to take on Concordia University Texas in a three-game series. Game one will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 18th and will be a doubleheader against the Tornadoes.
