The Yellow Jackets rolled past Southwestern University 17-11 at Don Shepard Park for their second straight win — and the second straight game with at least 17 runs scored. With the offense rolling deep into the lineup, Howard Payne showed its ability to strike and score consistently, setting a confident tone from the first inning.
The Jackets wasted no time getting on the board. In the first inning, they erupted for four runs. A pair of doubles by John Garza and Braden Franks fueled the early threat, with Nader Gulamhuse, Joshua Lile, and Huston Cornish all driving in runs to put the hosts ahead quickly.
The offense stayed steady in the second, adding two more runs on an RBI double by Gulamhuse and a sacrifice fly from Cornish to make it 6-0.
Howard Payne's bats really came alive again in the fourth inning. Key hits from Jacob Hill, Huston Cornish, and Hunter Pope helped the Jackets score six more times, stretching the lead into double digits. By the time the inning ended, Howard Payne led 12-1 and kept the pressure on.
While Southwestern battled back with runs in the third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, the Jackets kept answering. Hunter Pope continued to swing a hot bat with RBI hits, and later in the sixth and eighth, Braden Franks and John Garza added clutch knocks to keep Howard Payne comfortably in control. Nader Gulamhuse finished with three hits and three RBIs, John Garza was three-for-six with three RBIs, and Hunter Pope contributed three RBIs of his own in one of the most productive nights of the season for the lineup.
On the mound, Luke Watkins earned the win, tossing five strong innings while striking out eleven and limiting Southwestern's damage early, allowing the offense plenty of room to build. Caden Beck came on late to finish the final frames.
"We came out with the approach we've been emphasizing all week — attack early, stay aggressive at the plate, and never let up," said head coach Stephen Lynn. "The guys did exactly that. Everyone in the lineup contributed, and that kind of balanced production makes it tough for any team to respond.
With the victory, Howard Payne especially has to like the timing of its offensive surge. Back-to-back outings with 17 or more runs give the Jackets a boost of confidence as they turn toward their doubleheader against Southwestern on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., where they'll look to extend their momentum and keep scoring at this torrid pace.
