ABILENE, Texas -- Dane Jones homered twice, but the LeTourneau baseball team could not hold an early lead in a 9-8 loss at Hardin-Simmons in the ASC series opener on Thursday night at Hunter Field.

Jones homered in the first inning and again in the fourth inning to give him 50 career home runs. He is one of 17 active players across all NCAA levels with 50-plus career home runs. 

LeTourneau (15-13, 7-2) saw its seven-game winning streak snapped, just one shy of tying the program's NCAA-era record.

The YellowJackets got out of the gate fast with a five-run first inning to build a 5-0 lead. Jones launched the first of his two homers, a two-run shot to left-center field, scoring Austin Wiederhold to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Zach Baker delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 5-0 as LeTourneau batted around in the inning.

Hardin-Simmons (7-17, 4-5 ASC) fought back and evened the score with a four-run second inning, capped by a Baylan Vaughan RBI triple to tie the game.

After Hardin-Simmons took a 6-5 lead in the third inning, Jones blasted another home run in the fourth to make it 6-6. The second homer was his ninth of the year.

Trailing 7-6 in the eighth inning, LeTourneau loaded the bases with one out. Jack Kale's check-swing ground out brought Wiederhold home with the tying run.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the game-winner for Hardin-Simmons. Vaughan produced a go-ahead RBI single and Brock Calvillo added an RBI single to make it 9-7.

Isaac Price kept LeTourneau in it with a solo home run in the ninth inning, his third of the year, to make it 9-8. The YellowJackets put runners at first and second with two outs after Jones was intentionally walked, but Xander Nabors' sharp grounder was handled by HSU to end the game.

Clayton Holt (2-1) got the loss in relief, but pitched well as he retired the first eight batters he faced and finished with five strikeouts. Aman Patel went five innings in his start.

Price went 3-for-4 while Jones, Luke Land, Hayden Norris, and Baker all had two hits each.

Vaughan went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the host Cowboys. Johnny Follett (1-0 got the win after tossing the final two innings. Jack Kimsey threw 6.2 innings in relief of starter Bradley Fletcher.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau and Hardin-Simmons meet for a doubleheader on Friday in Abilene (4 p.m.).

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