ABILENE, Texas - The Howard Payne University baseball team fell 9-4 in a mid-week non-conference matchup against Hardin-Simmons University Tuesday evening.

Howard Payne scored three runs in the ninth inning but is was not enough falling 9-4 in the Hardin-Simmons final.

The Yellow Jackets scored a single run in the first on a Derek Gifford solo home run to right field. It was his second of the season.

The three runs in the ninth came off a Matthew Garcia RBI double to score Samuel Lampson, a Noah Coronado double to score Garcia, then a Anthony Cook single to plate Coronado.

Cook finished 3-for-4 at the plate for HPU, Carson Wert and Gifford each went 2-for-4 in the game for the Jackets.

Ricky Mays went 3.2 innings in the start for HPU allowing five runs on five hits and striking out three in the loss. Ty Garner, Cyah Daniel, Jasen Hollingsworth, JT Howard, and D'Andrey Silva all saw time in relief for HPU.

The Jackets will be in action at home this weekend in a conference series versus Sul Ross State University. It will be a single game on Friday starting at 2:00 pm and a double-header on Saturday starting at 1:00 pm.