SENIOR DAY

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau's baseball team dropped a doubleheader to East Texas Baptist Saturday amidst arain delay and tight watch of its pitching staff. The YellowJackets lost the first game, 4-2, and dropped the nightcap, 8-3.
 
East Texas Baptist (26-14, 19-8 American Southwest Conference) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings in the first game. The Tigers scored twice in the first, and had one in each of the next two innings.
 
LeTourneau (15-20, 13-14) got a run back in the fourth after Bryce Brueggemeyer led off the inning with a single up the middle. He advanced to second on a passed ball, and was awarded third on a balk. Two batters later, Brueggemeyer scored on Noah Arellano's fielder's choice.
 
Arellano drove in Brueggemeyer again in the sixth when the freshman catcher singled to left, cutting the lead in half. But LeTourneau couldn't push another run across.
 
It was Arellano's fourth two-RBI game of the season. He went 1-for-3.
 
Isaiah Alvarenga (7-2) went the distance in the win, allowing five hits, no walks and an earned run, while fanning seven. Dane Jones (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Kameron Lindsey, who extended his hitting streak to a season-best 13 games on the day, was 2-for-4 to raise his batting average over .300. Brueggemeyer was 1-for-2. Chaz Jackson went 1-for-3.
 
In the second game, the Tigers jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first before the YellowJackets got both back on Brueggemeyer's single to center. Brueggemeyer advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Arellano was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. One batter later, the rain set in, and the game was halted.
 
Following the 37-minute delay, ETBU went to its bullpen, calling on Jacob Sherman, who worked the next 5.1 innings to record the win, improving to 4-0.
 
East Texas Baptist scored three in the second, chasing Jedidiah Crone (0-3). Crone came on in relief of starter Jared Schurig, who was on a pitch count, and exited after the delay.
 
Brueggemeyer doubled to left center in the second to score Lindsey, and cut the lead to 5-3. But ETBU picked up three more insurance runs to put it away.
 
LETU middle reliever William Bond worked five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, no walks and two strikeouts. Kyle Maysonave went two innings, allowing a hit, no runs, and had three strikeouts. Cade Smitherman punched out two of the three batters he faced via the strikeout.
 
It was the first time Maysonave has been called upon out of the pen. It also marked the first appearance for Smitherman in a month. Both did not disappoint.
 
Cody Stanley had two hits in five plate appearances. Jaggar Vaughn was 2-for-4. Noe Balderas and Lindsey each had a hit. Lindsey also walked twice to reach base three times in his final game at Conrad-Vernon Field.
 
LETU will enter the ASC Championship Tournament as the No. 8 seed, and will play at Texas at Dallas Thursday in the Blue Bracket. The Tigers will finish second in the league standings, and host the Red Bracket. The ASC will release the brackets Sunday after the completion of regular season play.