ABILENE, Texas – LeTourneau University's baseball team dropped the opening game of a three-game series, 5-4, at McMurry Friday.
 
The YellowJackets (5-10, 3-4 American Southwest Conference) put two runs on the board in the first inning to jump out to the early lead. Bryce Brueggemeyer drove in the first run. Weston McKinley had an RBI double to left to make it 2-0.
 
McMurry (2-9, 1-6) tied the game in the third on Nick Hamel's run-scoring single through the right side. The War Hawks took a two-run lead in the fifth on Ryan Potter's two-run homer. McMurry pushed another across in the sixth on Hamel's single to left to make it 5-2.
 
Brueggemeyer belted a two-out triple to left center in the top of the seventh to cut the gap to 5-4. But the Jackets could not get a runner on base in their final two at-bats, and the War Hawks held on.
 
McKinley went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Dane Jones was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Brueggemeyer was 1-for-4 with three RBI. Noah Arellano was 1-for-4, and scored two runs. Cody Stanley, Lane Williams and Ethan Wood each had a hit.
 
Potter and Hamel each had two hits and two RBI.
 
McMurry starter Derek Hostas pitched 6.2 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs, two earned, and no walks, while striking out four to get the win. Dylan Schafer worked the final 2.1 innings without allowing a base runner to earn the save. Jared Schurig went four innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk, while fanning five in the loss. Jedidiah Crone pitched one inning of scoreless relief, allowing a hit, while striking out two.
 
The series continues with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.