LONGVIEW, Texas --
Dane Jones set a program game record with three home runs in game two and the LeTourneau baseball team split a doubleheader with Hardin-Simmons on Senior Day at Conrad-Vernon Field on Friday night.
Hardin-Simmons took the opener, 4-1, before LeTourneau got the bats going in a 13-2 win in the nightcap.
LeTourneau (14-21, 7-13 ASC) honored its 11 seniors -- Jones,
Carter Amarantos,
Jonathan Burton,
Ethan Wood,
Devin Greaff,
Garrett Irwin,
TJ Spitdowski,
Jaggar Vaughn,
Dylan Cortes,
Calvin Lopez, and
Zac Schneider -- before the second game.
GAME TWO: LeTourneau 13, Hardin-Simmons 2
Jones homered three times and broke the program's single-season home run record as LeTourneau earned a 13-2 victory in game two.
Jones became the first player in program history to hit three home runs in one game and he broke Josh Ross' program-record for home runs in a season with his 17th. Jones finished 3-for-4 with two solo homers and a two-run shot for his four RBIs on the night.
Jones has 38 career home runs, just one shy of tying the program's all-time record held by Mike Huffman.
LeTourneau pounded out 21 hits in the win, the most this season, while scoring 12 runs over a three-inning stretch.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the fifth, the YellowJackets scored four runs on five hits to take the lead for good.
Xander Nabors delivered a go-ahead RBI single that plated
Zach Zarko. Vaughn followed with a two-run single and
Kevin Soto added an RBI single to cap the inning.
In the sixth, LeTourneau broke the game wide open. Jones launched a two-run homer to left field to kick start a six-run frame. Soto had another RBI single, while
Tyler Hedin, Wood, and Zarko also had run-scoring hits to make it 11-1.
Jones was at it again in the seventh. He took a 1-0 pitch from Caleb Smith and blasted it way over the left field fence for his third home run of the night to set a program single-game record and break the program's single-season mark.
Soto went 4-for-5 while Jones, Nabors, and Zarko had three hits apiece. Vaughn and Wood had two-hit games as Wood reached 100 career hits.
Ryan Brewer (2-3) picked up the win as he struck out a career-high nine in five innings. Brewer worked around traffic on the bases in the early innings to keep Hardin-Simmons to just one run on four hits.
Schneider, Lopez, and Burton combined to allow just one unearned run over the final four innings.
Wyatt Tumlinson (3-7) got the loss for the visiting Cowboys as he allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings. Baylan Vaughan had two hits for the guests.
GAME ONE: Hardin-Simmons 4, LeTourneau 1
Dalton Pickett went six strong innings, but LeTourneau fell 4-1 in Friday's opener to Hardin-Simmons.Â
Pickett (4-4) struck out three and allowed three earned runs in his start.
The Cowboys scored two runs in the second inning getting on the board early off of three hits and one error.
Hardin-Simmons added another run in the fifth inning on a solo shot from Jett Forrest to make it 4-0.
LeTourneau started climbing back in the bottom of the fifth with Blake Vice getting aboard with a walk before Wood pushed him along with a single. Zarko then singled through the left side to load the bags for Hayden Norris.
Norris put one far enough in center field for a sacrifice fly to score Wood and then make it two outs.
In the bottom of the seventh, the YellowJackets threatened as Wood reached on a hit-by-pitch and Zarko pitched one over the second baseman to put two runners on and bring the tying run to the plate, but it was to no avail as LeTourneau fell 4-1.
Karson Leatherwood went 2-for-3 for the Cowboys as Caidon Livingston pitched a complete game. Livingston gave up five hits, one earned run, and had five strikeouts.
UP NEXT
LeTourneau and Hardin-Simmons will complete the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS
Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.
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