MARSHALL — Scoring 20 runs in a double header sweep of Concordia University Texas, No. 21/24 East Texas Baptist University improved their American Southwest Conference to 5-1. ETBU is now 7-5 overall and is in first place in the ASC.
Sayers Collins recorded eight strikeouts and no earned runs for his third win of the year. Robert Croft came in as a reliever in game two, recording his first collegiate win with four strikeouts.
Brett Wagner had six hits on the day for four RBI with a double and a home run. Jacob Evangelista finished with four hits and four RBI with a double.
Friday: Concordia 10, ETBU 8
Playing catch up from the first inning, No. 21/24 East Texas Baptist University’s late inning rally fell short of victory, 10-8, as Concordia University Texas took the first game of the American Southwest Conference series. ETBU is now 5-5 on the year and 3-1 in the ASC.
Jacob Evangeilsta led the team with three hits and two RBI, while Carson Wilson, Brett Wagner, Jase Jones and Jake Miller all had two hits. Nick Massarini and Ben Lea both had two RBI, while Christopher Sha added one along with Miller. ETBU posted two home runs in the game as Le and Miller each had one. Evangelista, Wilson, Shay and Jones all had a double. Cole Godkin received the loss going 5.1 innings with three strikeouts, giving up seven runs, six earned, on six hits. Peyton Miller worked 2.2 innings getting five strikeouts, and Cody Johnson finished with one strikeout.
CTX scored right from the beginning with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. ETBU struck back in the bottom of the second inning as Lea had a sacrifice fly and then Evagelista doubled in Austin Barry and Jones to tie the game at three. ETBU gave up a home run in the fourth inning, but then Lea tied in the bottom of the inning with his own home run. CTX then scored six more runs over the next five innings for a 10-4 lead.
Headed into the bottom or the ninth down six, ETBU scored four runs and was threatening to tie the game. Miller homered for the first run of the inning, followed by Shay’s double to make it 10-6. Massarini then singled up the middle as both Shay and Wilson came in to come within two, 10-8. Just as it looked like ETBU would pull to within one on a Jones double, Massarini was thrown out at home trying to cut the lead to one. That out ended the game as CTX prevailed by two.
Saturday Game 1: ETBU 8, CTX 1
Collins went six of seven innings for the win, allowing just five hits and no earned runs while posting eight strikeouts. Matthew Irwin worked the seventh inning, recording one strikeout and no hits. Wagner went 3-of-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the team. Ben Lea followed with a home run, going 2-of-3 for two RBI. Evangelista, Carson Wilson and Jordan Hara all had one RBI. Austin Barry added two hits.
ETBU started off strong in the first inning as a run came in on an error and then Wagner doubled in Hara and Wilson for the 3-0 lead. Wilson made it 4-0 in the second inning on a single to right field as Lea scored. Hara grounded out, scoring Evangelista for a 5-0 lead after two innings. In the third, Evangelista walked with the bases loaded to earn a RBI making it 6-0.
CTX scored their lone run in the fourth inning to come within five, 6-1. Lea finished out the scoring in the fifth on a shot to left center field for the 8-1 final.
Saturday Game 2: ETBU 12, CTX 5
Putting up big numbers in four of the nine innings, ETBU swept the day taking the final game, 12-5. Four pitchers were used in the win as Jagger Neely started the game going 2.2 innings with two strikeouts. Jacob Sherman followed with 1.1 innings of work and two strikeouts. The two combined gave up four earned runs after four innings. Croft came in in the fifth inning, going 3.1 innings for the win with four strikeouts and one earned run on three hits. Braden Karnes then finished off the Tornados in 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and no hits or runs as the staff recorded 10 strikeouts on the day.
Three players had double digits in hitting as Evangelista was 3-of-5 for three RBI. Wagner also added three hits for two RBI and two runs scored. Both Wilson and Parker Perez added two hits and one RBI. Jake Miller finished with one RBI along with Austin Barry.
After two scoreless innings, CTX scored two runs in the top of the third. ETBU matched it to tie the game at two. Evangelista doubled in Lea, and then Barry hit a sacrifice fly scoring Miller to tie the game. ETBU added two more runs in the fourth inning as Wagner scored on wild pitch and Jones came in on a fielder’s choice for the 4-2 lead.
CTX tied the game again in the top of the fifth at four before ETBU scored eight runs over the next three innings. ETBU made it 8-4 after the bottom of the fifth. Perez brought in the first run on a single to right field, and then Wagner swatted a two-run home run for the 7-4 lead. Miller made it 8-4 on a double to left field.
In the seventh inning, Jones scored on an error to record the first run of the inning. Evangelista added two more runs with a single up the middle and Wilson doubled down the left field line as Evangelist was the final run to go up, 12-4. CTX had one run scored in the eighth to make it 12-5.
ETBU will host Hendrix College on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in a regional game at Woods Field.