February 6, 2016
BASEBALL: ORANGE, California (2/6/15) - Scoring 15 runs in the final game on Saturday for a three-run win over Chapman University, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team split the double header but took the overall three-game series. ETBU fell in game one, 4-3, but then bounced back for a 15-12 win in the last game. With the 12-7 win from last night, ETBU starts off the 2016 season at 2-1.
In game one, ETBU came up short of completing a rally in the ninth inning as they fell 4-3. Connor Combs would lead the team with two RBIs while Zach Gartner got the third RBI. Kyle Loson took the loss in after allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out two in seven innings.
ETBU was engaged in a slugfest in game two as they defeated Chapman, 15-12. Zach Compton and Dynas Doud led the team with three hits each while Doud also had four RBIs to lead the team. Jordan O?Bannon got the win after pitching an inning and a third giving up one hit and walking two batters.
Game 1: Chapman 4, ETBU 3
Neither team would score for the first two innings. But in the bottom of the third, an RBI double by Chapman's Greg Dillon would score Connor Larkin giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. One inning later, Chapman would add another run on a triple by David Basen, which scored Jared Love for a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, ETBU had two men on base, but could not deliver runs as a double play would end the frame for them. The lead would stay at two until the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Cook singled in Anthony DeNiro to make it 3-0. Another insurance run would be added when Konnor Zickefoose homered to right field for a 4-0 Chapman advantage.
ETBU would start a rally in the top of the ninth. After Zach Compton singled and Kurt Summerall drew a walk, Combs would deliver a two-run double to make it 4-2. After advancing on a passed ball, Combs would score on an RBI groundout by Gartner to trim the lead to one, 4-3. But ETBU was unable to drive in the tying run and Chapman took the second game of the series.
Game 2: ETBU 15, Chapman 12
ETBU started game two with a three-run first courtesy of a RBI double by Bates, an RBI single by Dynas Doud, and a RBI sac fly by Combs. It was 3-0 in ETBU?s favor when Chapman answered with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. ETBU would have another huge scoring inning as they scored four runs in the top of the second. It started when Bates drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at four. After Doud brought in another run to make it 5-4, Compton would deliver a two-run double for a 7-4 lead. Chapman though, would answer with a two-run home run by DeNiro to come within one, 7-6, after two innings.
In the top of the third, Gartner would hit an RBI single to put ETBU back up by two, 8-6. After a scoreless fourth inning, Bates would get another RBI by hitting a sacrifice fly for the three-run lead, 9-6. However, the Panthers would tie the score in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI triple by Conner Larkin.
ETBU would then retake the lead in the sixth by adding four runs. Brice Winter would deliver an RBI single. Mason Aldredge hit a sacrifice fly to make it 11-9 and then Winter would then score on a wild pitch. Doud drove in another run that scored Dylan Sumpter for a four-run lead, 13-9, after six innings. In the seventh, Combs would drill a solo home run pushing the lead to five, 14-9. One inning later, Doud would get his fourth RBI by driving in Sumpter.
Down 15-9 in the bottom of the eighth, Chapman would manage to get three more runs to make it 15-12. That was where the scoring ended as Russo would finish off the Panthers preserving the victory. Russo came in to pitch the final two innings giving up no runs and recording three strikeouts.
ETBU will travel to the University of Dallas next Saturday for a double-header starting at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
#TIGERSWIN: ETBU Scores 12 Runs in California Win
BASEBALL: ORANGE, California (2/5/16) - Leading from the beginning of the game, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team started their 2016 season on the right note with a 12-7 victory over Chapman University in California. ETBU started the game by scoring five runs and they never looked back, finishing with 11 hits as a squad.
Tyler Bates led with three hits, including two doubles and a home run while scoring five runs. Dylan Sumpter and Zach Compton had two hits each with Sumpter driving three RBIs, including a home run of his own. Dynas Doud, Jacob Pool, Mason Aldredge, and Brice Winter would also have a hit for ETBU.
Ernest Perez got the start for ETBU and would get the win by pitching five innings, striking out five men while giving up three earned runs on eight hits. Chad Boudreaux got an inning in allowing four runs on one hit while striking out two. Jimmy Russo would finish the game with three shutout innings striking out a batter. Chapman pitcher Matt Smith earned the loss after pitching five innings allowing six runs on six hits, struck out 10 batters, and walked one batter.
ETBU struck first run when Bates scored on a wild pitch by Chapman pitcher Matt Smith in the first inning. After a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the first, ETBU would then work a two-out rally to score four runs, including a three-run bomb by Sumpter and an RBI single by Dynas Doud in the top of the second inning for a 5-0 lead. Although Perez pitch out of a jam in the second, he would face another in the third as Chapman responded with three runs to make it 5-3.
Neither team would score until the top of the fifth when Compton delivered an RBI double giving ETBU a 6-3 lead. Chapman responded with an RBI double to cut the lead to 6-4. The see-saw battle continued into the seventh when Bates would crush a two run shot to make it an 8-4 lead. Kameron Sumrall would add another run with a sacrifice fly that scored Compton for a five-run advantage, 9-4. But the Panthers would answer once again with a base clearing double that cut ETBU's lead down to two, 9-7. Russo would come in and hold Chapman at bay the rest of the game.
In the top of the ninth inning, ETBU would add three insurance runs when a Chapman throwing error scored two on the play and a hit by pinch hitter Pool would score Connor Combs to make it 12-7. Russo would get the final three outs and ETBU preserved the victory and earn the save.
ETBU will play two games vs. Chapman tomorrow. The first game, which will be seven innings, starts at 1 pm central time while the second game will start at 3pm central time.
#TIGERSWIN: Men's Basketball Edges LeTourneau, 56-54
BASKETBALL (M): LONGVIEW, Texas (2/6/16) - East Texas Baptist University's Junior Mitchell's lay-up with 7.5 seconds left propelled the men?s basketball team to a two-point victory over LeTourneau University, 56-54, for their 10th-straight win improving to 18-4 and 11-2 in the ASC East. This win also completes three straight wins in six days on the road starting with a win on Monday night over Louisiana College and Texas-Tyler on Thursday.
Jordan Quillian led all players with 16 points, converting eight-of-12 shots from the floor. He also paced ETBU with nine rebounds. Dylan Augustine contributed 11 points and three rebounds, while Mitchell chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and three assists. Wilbert Thomas had nine points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Trailing by a 54-52 margin with less than a minute remaining in regulation, ETBU tied the game up, 54-54, on a Quillian basket with 52 seconds on the game clock.
On LeTourneau's subsequent possession, Christian Seidl missed a 3-point shot, and after Thomas grabbed a defensive rebound, ETBU would call a timeout with 18 seconds left. Following that break in the action, Augustine missed a 3-point attempt, but Mitchell swooped in, grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the putback for what would turn out to be the game's decisive points.
In the early stages of the afternoon, ETBU moved ahead by double digits during the first half. With 14:25 in the half and the score 11-6 in favor of ETBU after two LeTourneau free throws, ETBU scored the game?s next nine points to claim a 20-6 lead. During this 9-0 spurt, Thomas scored five points, while Juan Romero and Quillian chipped in two apiece. LeTourneau would go scoreless for over six minutes in this stretch, missing 12-straight shots from the field before Alec Colhoff scored at the 7:51 mark to make it a 20-8 game.
From that point forward, LeTourneau closed the first half on a 12-2 run to come within two points of ETBU at halftime, 22-20. During the opening half, ETBU shot 33.3 percent from the floor (nine-of-27) and 22.2 percent from 3-point distance (two-of-nine). In comparison, LeTourneau hit seven-of-36 shots from the field (19.4 percent) and two-of-11 3-point attempts (18.2 percent).
For the day, ETBU finished with a 49-to-38 edge in rebounding, while LeTourneau had more than twice as many assists as turnovers (13-to-6). Interestingly, ETBU attempted just four foul shots all afternoon, and LeTourneau went a perfect eight-of-eight on free throws.
For LeTourneau, Colhoff totaled 14 points and five rebounds, and Caleb Loggins finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Jeff Martin added seven points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
ETBU plays its next game on Thursday, traveling to face the University of the Ozarks (Ark.) for a 7:30 p.m. matchup in Clarksville, Arkansas.
Fourth Quarter Run Ends ETBU Come Back
BASKETBALL (W): LONGVIEW, Texas (2/8/16) - A fourth quarter run by LeTourneau University would be the difference for the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team as they would take a 62-52 defeat. This loss puts ETBU at 13-8 and 6-7 in the ASC East.
ETBU was led by three players who landed in double figures in April Leonard with 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Malaisia Chisholm had 11 points and four rebounds while Taylee Alexander had 10 points and seven rebounds. For LeTourneau, Crystal Jones led all scorers with 25 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
ETBU won all three of the shooting categories by shooting 44.7% from the field compared to the 30.9% by LeTourneau. From three-pointers, ETBU made 27% while LeTourneau made 20%. At the free throw line, ETBU made 73.7% while LeTourneau made 72.7%. LeTourneau outrebounded ETBU with a 40-33 edge and dished out 15 assists while ETBU had six.
The first quarter would be a see-saw affair with neither team gaining more than a four point lead. Chisholm would be the catalyst for ETBU as she would score nine of ETBU's 13 points. After Leonard delivered a layup, Chisholm scored ETBU?s next seven points that would give ETBU a 9-7 lead. Jumpers by Alexander and Lauren Lee would make it a 13-9 ETBU lead before a 5-0 run by the Yellow Jackets gave them a 14-13 lead after one.
LeTourneau would start the second quarter with three points to make it 17-13. A pair of free throws by Ambrosia Woodard would make it a two-point deficit for ETBU at 17-15. That's when the Yellow Jackets got hot as they stormed out on a 16-4 run that would make 31-19 at the 1:38 mark. A pair of free throws by Shaquica Jackson would build the lead up to 13 at 33-20. ETBU would finish with a 5-0 run on free throws by Alexander and a three pointer by Leonard to make it a 33-25 lead for LeTourneau after two quarters.
LeTourneau came out firing in the third quarter as they built their lead to 12 points at 40-28 and 42-30. The next nine points came from a three by Leonard and buckets by Lee. The three point deficit would be the closest ETBU would get as LeTourneau managed to pick up a five-point lead after three quarters with a 46-41 margin.
After a basket by LeTourneau's Latanya Drakes made it a seven point lead to start the fourth quarter, Leonard would respond with five points to cut the lead to 48-46 with 8:20 to play. That would be the closest ETBU would get as LeTourneau would run off with the game. Although ETBU got to within 52-48, a three-pointer by Crystal Jones would be the dagger as LeTourneau held off ETBU in the final five minutes.
ETBU will continue their long road trip by going to Clarksville, Arkansas this Thursday night to play Ozarks. Tip off time is at 5:30 pm.
ETBU Falls in Season Opener
SOFTBALL: MARSHALL, Texas (2/8/16) - A five-run fifth inning by Pacific Lutheran University broke open the 1-1 tie as the Lutes stole the season opener away from #4 East Texas Baptist University, 7-1. ETBU combined for only five hits on the night from five different players.
Lindsey Vasquez, Jessica Bowden, and Alexis Padilla were three of the five players with a hit producing doubles. Jayme Perez and Linzie Lewis also picked up hits as Bowden produced the lone RBI. Kelly Jo McLendon started the game going five innings with two strikeouts giving up six earned runs on eight hits. Perez finished the final two innings also striking out two and letting one earned run come in.
Pacific Lutheran got on board early in the top of the first inning for the 1-0 lead. A single up the middle scored PLU's first run after an opening walk to start the inning. ETBU answered in the third inning to tie the game up at one. Back-to-back doubles resulted in Vasquez scoring from second as she had the first double of the inning. Bowden followed Vasquez with a double to right center field to tie the game at one. Looking to take the lead with only one out, ETBU's next two batters struck out to end the inning.
After a scoreless fourth inning, PLU struck for five runs in the fifth inning. That became the difference in the game as ETBU couldn't find the offense to match the five runs from PLU.
PLU's Elli Rassbach earned the win going four innings with three strikeouts while Marissa Miller recorded the save. PLU finished with 11 hits overall as four were doubles.
ETBU will host Belhaven University on Friday and Saturday, February 12-13, in a three-game series with one game on Friday night at 6:00 p.m.
#TIGERSWIN: WTN Moves to 3-0 Blanking Centenary
TENNIS (W): MARSHALL, Texas (2/5/16) - Not dropping a single set and improving to 3-0 on the year, the East Texas Baptist University women's tennis team claimed a 9-0 victory over Centenary (La.) College at Veterans Memorial Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon. The 3-0 start is the best in program history in the fifth year of the program.
In doubles competition, ETBU swept through the three matches. In the top-seeded doubles flight, Jabree McClaine and Sierra Pizarro claimed an 8-0 victory. At the No. 2-seeded doubles match, Kellie Cawthon and Alex Rubio swept their competition by an 8-0 margin, while Desjha Ellis and Mullika Seekhieo also won by an 8-0 score in the third-seeded doubles flight.
ETBU then claimed six-of-six singles matches, all by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores. Kellie Cawthon won the number one singles followed by Sierra Pizarro at number two and Mullika Seekieo at number three. Alex Rubio won the number four match while Desjha Ellis took the five match and Shavonne Nuall won the number six singles match.
On Saturday afternoon ETBU hosts NCAA Division II opponent Dallas Baptist (Texas) University for a 1 p.m. match.
#TIGERSWIN: Men Pick Up First Win of Year
TENNIS (M): MARSHALL, Texas (2/5/16) - Earning their first win of the year in their third match of the season, the East Texas Baptist University men's tennis team swept Centenary (La.) College, 9-0, at Veterans Memorial Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon. ETBU only gave up one set point in all nine matches.
To begin the day, ETBU nabbed a 3-0 lead with a sweep of the three doubles flight. In the second-seeded doubles match, Cody Highsmith and Connor Mason paired up and won, 8-0. Ryan Pearce and Tyler Topoka earned the next victory for ETBU, emerging victorious in the No. 1 doubles flight by an 8-0 margin. To put the finishing touches on ETBU's sweep of the doubles matches, Dillon Deatherage and Rollin Houk swept their competition by an 8-0 final.
Further on in the match, ETBU also claimed six-of-six doubles flights, dropping only a single game in those half dozen matches combined. Tolopka took the number one singles match as Highsmith won number two and Deatherage the third match. Reid Adams claimed the number four singles match as Rollin Houk won the number fives match and Brandon LeBlanc finished off the day with the number six singles win.
ETBU completes its four-match home stand on Saturday afternoon, hosting NCAA Division II opponent Dallas Baptist (Texas) University for a 1 p.m. match.