MARSHALL, Texas -- A three-run first inning and clutch pitching and defense held up for the LeTourneau baseball team in a 6-3 victory at East Texas Baptist in the ASC series opener on Wednesday night at Woods Field.

LeTourneau (19-13, 11-2 ASC) regains first place in the ASC standings with the win. The victory snapped a 10-game losing streak for the YellowJackets against ETBU (20-11, 7-2 ASC).

The YellowJackets loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first after Austin Wiederhold was hit by a pitch -- adding to his program record with his 18th of the season -- and back-to-back singles from Dane Jones and Xander Nabors.

Luke Land then ripped a 2-2 pitch down the right field line that scored all three runners to give LeTourneau a 3-0 lead.

ETBU, ranked No. 23 in the ABCA Coaches Poll, got two runs back in the home-half of the first, but LeTourneau starter Aman Patel limited the damage to preserve the lead.

In the third, LeTourneau added to its lead. Jack Kale came through with an RBI single, plating Nabors, to make it 4-2. ETBU's Hunter Rumachik hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third to make it a one-run game again.

Patel (2-4) settled down and worked six innings to collect the win. The left-hander picked up a key double play to erase a leadoff walk in the fifth and finished the night by stranding a runner at second in the sixth inning.

Patel scattered six hits and three walks while striking out six to earn his second win of the season.

The YellowJackets picked up two insurance runs in the seventh. Kale produced a two-strike RBI single through a drawn-in infield to score Nabors for a 5-3 lead. Isaac Price followed with a double to left field that brought home Kale for a 6-3 lead.

Clayton Holt earned his second save of the season as he went the final three innings. Holt totaled four strikeouts and was the beneficiary of a diving catch in left field from Zach Baker to retire the leadoff batter in the eighth. Holt then worked around a first and third situation with one out as he struck out Rumachik before getting a ground out to end the threat.

LeTourneau had nine hits in the win as Nabors, Land, Kale, and Price had two each. Land finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Kale was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Matthew Krall (3-1) got the los for ETBU as he allowed four runs in two innings. Luke Bumpus and Ben Lea had two hits apiece.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau and ETBU play a doubleheader on Thursday in Marshall (4 p.m.).

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