Abram Choate, SID

BELTON, Texas – The Howard Payne held off a University of Mary Hardin-Baylor late comeback and secure a 4-3 victory Friday afternoon in Belton. The loss drops UMHB to 6-10-1 overall and 0-1 in American Southwest Conference play. Howard Payne improves to 7-8 overall and 1-0 in the ASC with the victory.

HPU took a 3-0 lead on James Rodriguez's three-run homer in the top of the second inning. The Yellow Jackets stretched the lead to 4-0 on Chris Pucci's RBI single in the top of the fourth. UMHB cut the lead to 4-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Chase Beyrand led off the inning with a solo homer and Ricky LaFont added a sacrifice fly. The Cru added a run on Joseph Villegas' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to close to within 4-3 and put runners on first and third with two outs. Ramiro Garza then got a strikeout to end the UMHB threat and earn his first save of the season.

Justin Davies went eight innings of 12-hit baseball to get the win for HPU and raise his record to 3-0. He struck out six and walked one. Bill Pearce took the loss for UMHB to fall to 0-4. Pearce surrendered four hits, four runs and five walks while striking out four in five and a third innings. Earnest Pena went 3-4 for the Cru and Marcus Volz, Villegas and Steven Reinlie all had two hits apiece for UMHB. Pucci went 3-3 for HPU and had half of the team's six hits.

The two teams will close out the series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow at Red Murff Field.