May 7, 2016
ASC RED BRACKET: MARSHALL, Texas (5/6/16) – Holding off a feisty rally by Howard Payne University, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team pulled away with an 8-6 victory advancing in the winner’s bracket of the American Southwest Conference Red Bracket division. With the win, ETBU (29-12) plays Hardin-Simmons University at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Leading the way for ETBU was Dynas Doud who had three hits while Tyler Bates had three RBI on two hits. Jaxon Rader also had two hits and two RBI in the game. Ernest Perez would pick up his ninth win on the season with 7.2 innings pitched allowing six runs on six hits and 10 strikeouts. Jimmy Russo picked up his 10th save with 1.1 innings pitched.
ETBU would not score until the second inning when Rader delivered a two-run single to make it 2-0. One inning later, RBI singles by Kameron Sumrall and Casey Combs gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead. Through 5.2 innings, Perez was cruising with a no-hitter until the Yellow Jackets would break it up and score a run to make it 6-1. ETBU would answer back on a two-run homer by Bates and an RBI double by Compton gave ETBU a 7-1 lead in the sixth inning.
An RBI single in the seventh by HPU cut ETBU’s lead to 7-2. But the Yellow Jackets would use an RBI double and two RBI singles coming to within one run, 7-6, before Russo slammed the door on the rally. ETBU would add an insurance run in the eighth inning on a single by Bates to make it an 8-6 ballgame. That was all Russo would need as he held HPU down to nab the win.
ETBU now plays Hardin-Simmons Saturday at Woods Field at 4:00 pm. A win for ETBU and they advance to the Red Bracket championship game on Sunday at 1:00 pm. A loss for ETBU and they will play later at 7:00 pm Saturday night just to survive elimination.