BROWNWOOD, Texas – LeTourneau's baseball team dropped the first game of the series at Howard Payne Friday, losing 6-4.

The YellowJackets (5-5, 2-2 American Southwest Conference) spotted the Yellow Jackets (6-6, 3-1) all six runs in the first two innings to fall into a hole.

LeTourneau outhit Howard Payne, 9-8. But the YellowJackets couldn't scrounge up enough runs in the latter innings to pull out a comeback bid.

Will Bradshaw scored LETU's first run in the third on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Weston McKinley to make it 6-1.

In the sixth, LeTourneau's bats awakened. Chaz Jackson singled down the left field line to drive in a run. Bradshaw singled to right to score another. Bryce Brueggemeyer doubled down the left field line to pull the YellowJackets within 6-4.

But LETU went quietly in its last three at-bats, and HPU held on to take the first game. The two teams will meet again Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Bradshaw went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Noah Mahoney was 2-for-5. Jackson had two hits in four trips to the plate, and drove in a run.

The YellowJackets stranded 11 runners. Howard Payne left six runners on base.

Jedidiah Crone took the loss, giving up six runs, five hits and a walk in an inning and two thirds. Cade Smithermen pitched four innings of shutout relief, allowing two hits and two walks. Kyle Maysonave worked the final two and a third innings, allowing only a hit, while fanning three.

Xavier Haines earned the win for the Yellow Jackets after going seven innings and giving up all nine hits, four runs, three of them earned, and striking out five.