Clinton, MS - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team could not overcome Mississippi College's eight-run second inning and the Cru fell to the Choctaws 14-4 in an elimination game in the First Round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Saturday afternoon in Clinton, Mississippi. UMHB finishes the season with a 22-17 record after being swept out of the ASC Tournament in the first round by the Choctaws for the second straight season. Mississippi College improves to 28-14 on the year and the Choctaws will play host to the Second Round of the ASC Tournament next weekend.
Mississippi College took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Bo Bell's two-run single and an RBI double from Tim Bruss. The Choctaws then put the game out of reach with an eight-run second inning. Chase Herrin opened the scoring with an RBI single, Bell added another two-run single, Clay Crosswhite and Bruss followed with RBI singles and Jacob Daniel added an RBI double to chase Cru starting pitcher R.B. Garza. Dakota Bodree then blasted a two-run homer to close out the scoring and make it 11-0 Choctaws. Crosswhite's RBI fielder's choice made it 12-0 MC in the top of the sixth before UMHB put four runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Josh Frederick scored the first run on Garza's double and a fielding error by MC right fielder Brannon Walls. Garza came around to score on a wild pitch and Seth Lynn added a two-run single as the Cru closed to within 12-4. Herrin ripped a two-run homer to left-center field in the top of the seventh to make it 14-4 and the Cru went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as the game was ended on the 10-run rule.
Garza took the loss for UMHB to finish the season at 5-4. Brett Hinson picked up the win for MC to improve to 9-2 after scattering eight hits, striking out five and giving up four runs in six innings. Garza and Seth Lynn had two hits apiece for UMHB. Herrin was 4-5 for MC and Bell added three hits and four RBI for the Choctaws. Joseph Villegas went 1-4 for the Cru and narrowly missed setting a new UMHB single-season record for batting average. Villegas finished the season at .465, just .007 points short of Kelly Kerlin's school-record of .472.
The Cru was making a school-record third straight trip to the ASC Championship Tournament. Saturday's loss closes out the careers of three UMHB seniors. Garza, Hunter Hawkins and Marcus Volz all played the final games of their UMHB careers on Saturday.