BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Talk about contrast.
LeTourneau University's baseball team won the first game of a doubleheader with Howard Payne, 1-0, Saturday before dropping the finale, 16-14.
LETU (6-6, 3-3 American Southwest Conference) rode
Kolton Eberlan's complete game effort in the opener. He allowed three hits, struck out six and walked none in the shutout.
Cody Lee's RBI single up the middle scored
Bryce Brueggemeyer in the top of the fifth for the game's only run.
Chaz Jackson went 2-for-3. Lee, Brueggemeyer,
Will Bradshaw,
Noah Mahoney and
Kameron Lindsey each had one hit.
LETU had two hits, but stranded a pair of runners in the third as the game remained scoreless. HPU (7-7, 4-2) had a runner on base in the sixth and seventh inning, but LeTourneau turned a double play in both innings to preserve Eberlan's masterpiece.
In the second game, LETU fell behind 8-0 after two innings before scoring in each of the next five. In the top of the third, Brueggemeyer singled in a run to cut it to 8-2.
Weston McKinley singled up the middle to make it 8-3.
Howard Payne tacked on four more runs in its half of the inning to stretch its lead out to 12-3. HPU added two more in the fourth and fifth innings to go ahead, 16-5. But LETU battled back in the sixth, scoring three runs on Bradshaw's run-scoring single, Jackson's RBI triple to left center and Brueggemeyer's single down the left field line that plated Jackson. That cut HPU's lead in half.
LeTourneau busted out six runs on four hits and an error to pull within two. But LETU stranded two runners, and couldn't push the tying runs across the rest of the way.
With one out,
Anthony Ybarra singled to center,
Mark Sanders and Lindsey both walked to load the bases. Bradshaw belted a three-run triple to right center to make it 16-11. Jackson had an infield single to score Bradshaw. Brueggemeyer walked and
Noah Mahoney singled to load the bases again. Jackson scored on a wild pitch, and the other two runners moved up a base. McKinley reached base on an error, and Brueggemeyer scored. But LeTourneau couldn't move another run across with runners on second and third. LETU had a runner on base in each of the next two innings, but HPU reliever Kory Owen didn't allow a hit in picking up a save.
The two teams combined for 34 hits in the second game.
Bradshaw was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Jackson went 3-for-6 with two RBI. Brueggemeyer went 3-for-5 with two RBI. McKinley went 2-for-6. Ybarra was 3-for-5. Lindsey had two hits in four plate appearances.
Kolbey Sharpe took the loss, giving up six runs and five hits.
Kiernan Richards and
Kyle Maysonave worked the final three innings, keeping Howard Payne off the board. Kyle Purdes was awarded the win after going five innings, allowing five runs and eight hits with five strikeouts.
LETU will host Austin College 6 p.m. Tuesday.
