BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University baseball team opened the 2022 season with a double-header split 12-13 and 6-1 with Concordia University Texas Friday afternoon at Don Shepard Park.

The Yellow Jackets out hit the Tornados 22-14 in the double-header. The day that featured nine errors between the two teams, four for HPU and five for CTX. HPU's RJ Roberts finished the day 5-for-8 at the plate with two RBI.

Game One
HPU was up 11-5 going into the top of the seventh when CTX scored seven runs to take a 12-11 lead. The Jackets responded in the bottom of the inning scoring on a Joey Villarreal double down the left line to send the game to extra innings.

Concordia added a run in the top of the eighth and claimed game one 13-12.

HPU's RJ Roberts finished 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI, Joey Villarreal, Tanner Benson, and Derek Gifford each finished with two hits and two RBI in the game. Samuel Lampson also added two hits.

Kyle Purdes was solid in the no decision start for HPU going 5.0 innings giving up three runs on four hits and striking out three.

Harlee Biggs, Landon Blass, Brendan Read, and Dean Evans all saw time in relief. Evans recorded the loss for the Jackets

Game Two
The Yellow Jackets used a three-run sixth to put the game out of reach in the 6-1 victory for HPU in game two of the double-header.

HPU out hit CTX 8-3 in the game with RJ Roberts again leading the way going 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI.

Chandler Paul was great in the start for HPU allowing just one run on three hits and striking out four in six innings of work.

JT Howard threw one inning of relief allowing no hits or walks and striking out two.

The two teams will finish out the conference series on Saturday with a single game starting at 1:00 pm.