May 8, 2016
ASC: MARSHALL, Texas (5/8/16) – The right to advance onto the Gold Bracket of the American Southwest Conference was on the line today as East Texas Baptist University battled hard but fell in the end to Hardin-Simmons University ending their season. ETBU battled through and took game one, 12-11, but then fell in the championship game, 8-6. ETBU finishes their season with 31 wins which is the most since the 2005 season and ended with 71 home runs which leads NCAA Division III.
In game one, ETBU would win a 12-11 slugfest. Leading for the Tigers was Jaxon Rader who went three-for-five on the game while Tyler Bates (two RBI), Kameron Sumrall (one RBI), Conner Combs (one RBI), Casey Combs (four RBI), and Landen Barns (two RBI) each had two hits. Cody Pierce got the start and went 3.1 innings allowing eight runs on 11 hits with one strikeout. Jacob Wadle would pick up the win for ETBU with four innings of relief allowing three runs on four hits and five strikeouts. Jordan O’Bannon earned the save going 1.2 innings allowing one hit and striking out two.
ETBU’s comeback trail ended abruptly as a ninth inning rally fell short with Hardin-Simmons winning 8-6 in the final game. Rader, Bates (RBI), and Conner Combs (two RBI) had three hits each. O’Bannon got the start and would be the losing pitcher going two innings allowing six runs on seven hits and one strikeout. Zach Pollard would do a stellar job in relief allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in seven relief innings.
Game 1 – ETBU 12, HSU 11
Following three runs on two homers by HSU in the first, ETBU answered with two home runs by Bates and Casey Combs plus an two-RBI single by Conner Combs to give ETBU a 5-3 lead. Another RBI single by Bates made it 6-3 after two before the Cowboys tied it in the top of the third. After Rader and Barns had RBI hits in the bottom of the third, HSU had two homers in the fourth to tie the game at 8-8.
Sumrall would drive in two in the bottom of the fourth before Barns and Casey Combs added RBI of their own making the score 12-8 after four. HSU would add a run in the sixth on a balk and two more in the eighth inning before O’Bannon shut the door on the Cowboys giving ETBU one more game to play.
Game 2 – HSU 8, ETBU 6
It was déjà vu all over again as two Cowboy homers in the first led to a 3-0 lead. But ETBU could only muster a run in the bottom half on a groundout by Sumrall. HSU would add more home runs in the third plus scoring on a wild pitch strikeout and they led 6-1. Conner Combs would cut the lead to 6-3 with a two-run home run that would be ETBU’s 71st and final home run of the season.
A single by Bates in the fourth made it 6-4 in HSU’s favor. But the Cowboys would add insurance runs on a single in the sixth and a home run in the eighth making the score 8-4. ETBU would muster one final moment of glory. After loading the bases with no outs, Bates would ground into a double play to make the score 8-5 for the Cowboys. Dynas Doud would single in another run before a single and walk loaded the bases for Casey Combs. But the rally was snuffed as he would fly out to right ending the season for the Tigers.
ETBU’s 31 wins are the most since 34 in 2005.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
HARDIN-SIMMONS
Zack de Luna, MVP
Colton Parker
Colton Spears
Ty Engelhardt
Elijah Perez
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST
Ernest Perez
Jaxon Rader
Dynas Doud
Tyler Bates
SUL ROSS STATE
Johnny Campos
Jonathan Bigley
HOWARD PAYNE
Joshua Martinez