LONGVIEW, Texas -- Pitching and a three-run fourth inning led the LeTourneau baseball team to a 3-2 series-opening victory over No. 22/18 McMurry on Friday night at Conrad-Vernon Field.

Clayton Holt threw 6.1 innings allowing two runs to notch the victory, while Camden Miller earned the save after 2.2 scoreless innings to lead LeTourneau (4-3, 2-2 SCAC) to the victory.

All three of LeTourneau's runs came in the fourth inning. Caleb Sandusky got the rally started with a one-out single and Luke Land followed with a single of his own to put runners at the corners with one out. Cody Brady plated Sandusky with an RBI ground out to give the YellowJackets a 1-0 lead.

Back-to-back two-out RBI hits capped the frame. Zach Baker delivered a double to left field that scored pinch-runner Seth Hudson before Austin Wiederhold produced an RBI single to center to bring home Baker and a 3-0 lead for the YellowJackets.

After a tough start to the game, Holt (1-1) settled down. The starter walked back-to-back hitters to open the game before inducing a double play and a fly out to end the McMurry threat in the first. Holt retired 10 batters at one point and finished with six strikeouts across 6.1 innings.

McMurry (3-6, 1-3 SCAC) put two across in the seventh to chase Holt from the game. Kia'i Sylvester had a two-run single down the left field line that trimmed the LeTourneau lead to 3-2. 

That is when Miller was summoned from the bullpen.

The right-hander got Jeremiah Enriquez to ground out before striking out Kaden Buske with Sylvester at third base to preserve the one-run lead for LeTourneau. Miller then retired the side in the eighth and then in the ninth got a game-ending double play to pick up his first save of the year. He struck out two in his scoreless and hitless 2.2 innings of work.

Hunter Poe (1-2) got the loss for McMurry as he surrendered three runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts. Dru Ohmstede and Sylvester had two hits apiece.

Land led LeTourneau with two hits. The YellowJackets totaled nine hits in the win.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau and McMurry conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday (12 p.m.).

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