Howard Payne baseball opened ASC Conference play on the road in Belton with a Thursday doubleheader against Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Yellow Jackets dropped both games but found a handful of solid individual performances at the plate.
Thursday Doubleheader-
In game one, Howard Payne fell 7-1. Joshua Lile drove in the Yellow Jackets' lone run, finishing with a hit and an RBI. Ty Phillips also contributed at the plate, going 1-for-3 and scoring the team's only run. Nader Gulamhusein added a hit, while Huston Cornish and Landon Prestage each worked walks to help generate traffic on the bases.
Game two saw Howard Payne fall 8-0 despite tallying six hits. Nader Gulamhusein led the effort with a 2-for-4 performance. Braden Franks also collected two hits and added a stolen base, while Joshua Lile and Jace Mackenzie each recorded a hit.
Friday-
Howard Payne jumped out early but couldn't hold off a late surge, falling 15-5 to Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Yellow Jackets wasted no time setting the tone, plating three runs in the opening frame. Nader Gulamhusein sparked the rally with a leadoff double, while Braden Franks delivered the big swing with a bases-clearing triple to put Howard Payne ahead 3-0 early.
Franks continued to be a steady presence at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Landon Prestage turned in a perfect day, going 3-for-3 with a walk. John Garza added to the offensive effort with a solo home run and a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
After building a 4-0 advantage through four innings, the momentum began to shift as Mary Hardin-Baylor capitalized on key opportunities in the middle innings. Despite adding another run in the seventh, highlighted again by Franks driving in a run, Howard Payne was unable to slow the Crusaders' offensive push down the stretch.
Saturday-
Howard Payne fell 8-2 in the series finale, with an early offensive push providing the highlights for the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets broke through in the second inning when Joshua Lile and Braden Franks each reached base to set the table for Huston Cornish, who delivered a two-RBI single up the middle to give Howard Payne a 2-1 lead.
Cornish led the way offensively with two RBIs, while Braden Franks added a double as part of a 1-for-3 performance. Nader Gulamhusein also contributed with a double, and Aj Tapia chipped in with a hit as Howard Payne finished with six total on the day.
On the mound, Trace Garcia provided a solid effort out of the bullpen, working 5.2 innings and allowing just two runs while keeping the Crusaders in check over the final stretch.
Despite the early lead, Mary Hardin-Baylor answered with multiple scoring innings and pulled away midway through the game, securing the series with the Saturday victory.
Head Coach Stephen Lynn said, "Conference play always brings a different level of intensity, and we saw that firsthand today. There were some good individual efforts, especially at the plate, but we've got to find ways to string those together and limit the big innings defensively. The focus now is on responding and improving as the series continues."
