By: Dalen Jensen
Howard Payne baseball struggled April 7-11, dropping five games, including a midweek loss to McMurry University and a four-game series sweep by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
HPU vs. McMurry
The offense struggled against McMurry on Tuesday, April 7, managing only five hits against the War Hawks. The pitching staff was serviceable, as six different pitchers allowed just five runs, but it was too much for the Yellow Jackets to overcome.
The Jackets scored once in the first inning on a Josh Lile single, and a Nader Gulamhusein single in the sixth provided the only other run in a 5-2 loss.
HPU vs. UMHB
Game 1
The offensive struggles continued in Game 1 against Mary Hardin-Baylor, as the Jackets managed just one run. UMHB’s offense got started early, scoring all seven of its runs in the first three innings.
The Jackets scored in the fourth inning when Josh Lile was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. However, that would be their only run, as they recorded just three hits in a 7-1 loss.
Game 2
The offensive drought continued in Game 2. Brant Wilson pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. However, the Jackets were limited to six hits and failed to score, falling 8-0.
Game 3
Game 3 brought early momentum for the Jackets, who took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-RBI triple by Braden Franks.
Junior pitcher Ty Phillips threw four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. However, the Crusaders responded with 13 additional runs to secure a 15-5 victory.
Game 4
UMHB struck first again, scoring in the opening inning. The Jackets briefly took the lead with two runs in the second, but the Crusaders answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Jackets’ offense went quiet, while UMHB added more runs to seal an 8-2 win. The loss capped a five-game skid and dropped Howard Payne’s record to 13-17.
After the weekend, coach Stephen Lynn said, “We knew our season is heading down to the wire. These next few weeks, we need to take advantage and get back in the win column. Dropping five games isn’t good for any team, but we still have a good shot heading into the postseason. Some positives from this weekend are that we hit the ball hard and faced a lot of bad luck. I look forward to the development of this team going forward.”
Dalen Jensen, Junior Staff Writer