LONGVIEW, Texas –
Andrew Klingenstein ended a bizarre American Southwest Conference affair between LETU and UMHB with a walk-off single in the 13
th inning at Conrad Vernon Field Thursday.
With the 4-3 victory, the YellowJackets improved to 12-20 overall, including 9-16 against league foes, while the Crusaders dropped to 17-14,11-11.
Toeing the slab for his final home collegiate start,
Jared Schurig delivered the first pitch three hours 50 minutes before
Zac Schneider crossed the plate on the game-winning single.
Schurig worked the first nine innings, allowing three runs – one earned – scattering six hits, walking one and punching out nine. He worked around a lot of traffic on the bases aided by seven defensive miscues.
After allowing one run on back-to-back doubles by the first two batters Schurig faced, the senior from Frisco, Texas, posted zeros in seven of the next eight frames. With two on and holding a 2-1 advantage, Schurig made the pitch needed to get out of the jam unscathed, but the second miscue of the inning produced two tallies for the guest.
Shane Salsman relieved Schurig, retiring the Cru in order in the 10th, registering one strike out. Senior
Raul Martinez earned the win, after spinning three scoreless innings, improving to 2-5. He surrendered two hits and fanned a pair.
James McGlumphy worked the first six innings for UMHB, allowing two runs on four hits, one walk and fanning five. Trevor Ripke, who replaced McGlumphy on the bump, allowed one run on three hits, one free pass and struck out six. He coughed up the lead in the ninth, collecting a blown save.
Cody Stanley lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, evened the contest at 3-3, scoring
Hunter Miller, who led off the ninth with a triple.
A Texas Leaguer down the third base line by
Devin Greaff scored Stanley from second, evening the game at 1-all.
Dane Jones pushed LETU in front with a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield, chasing Greaff home.
Jones, Miller and Greaff recorded two hits each, with Stanley and Klingenstein notching a knock a piece.
LETU and UMHB concludes the series with a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.