ALPINE, Texas - The Howard Payne University baseball team won game two of the Saturday double header 10-8 over Sul Ross State University to claim the weekend conference series 2-1. In game one, the Yellow Jackets fell 4-3 in extra innings.
Game One
The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the ninth on a
Cliff Lunceford homerun to left center. Sul Ross would win in the eight on a walk off RBI single.
HPU got its other two runs on a
Joshua Gerig RBI groundout in the fifth and a
Noah Payne RBI single in the sixth.
Benjamin Lewis and
Jacob Rodriguez each finished with two hits for Howard Payne.
Evan Rodriguez (1-2) recorded the loss in relief allowing one run on two hits in the eighth inning.
Brenden Clanton had the no decision in the start allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six in five innings.
Jonathan George threw two innings of relief allowing one run on two hits.
Game Two
The Jackets jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a four-run first and a single score in the second. Leading 10-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Jackets held off a final inning push by the Lobos to claim the 10-8 victory.
Cliff Lunceford finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI.
Jay Holland,
John Killough and
Jacob Rodriguez each added two hits for the Jackets.
Dylan Vilaros (4-3) got the victory in the start for HPU going five innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.
Shawn Brody saw one hitless inning of relief striking out two and
Preston Newman threw 2/3 innings allowing five runs on three hits.
Wesley Smith went the final 1/3 inning to pick up the save for Howard Payne.
Howard Payne is now 20-16 overall and 8-13 in American Southwest Conference action. Sul Ross stands at 20-17 overall and 14-7 in league play. The Jackets will have a non-conference game at home on Tuesday versus Schreiner University at 2:00 pm before wrapping up the regular season next weekend at home versus Louisiana College.
