Howard Payne battled through a tough doubleheader on Thursday, April 23 in Marshall, Texas, dropping both games to East Texas Baptist despite flashes of offensive pop and a few bright individual efforts throughout the day.

In game one, the Yellow Jackets struck first and showed early life at the plate. Landon Prestage wasted no time setting the tone, launching a solo home run to left center in the opening inning. The early swing gave Howard Payne a quick edge and a jolt of energy against a strong ETBU squad.

Braiden Hurlbutt added to that power display later in the contest, delivering a solo home run of his own in the fifth inning. Hurlbutt finished with one hit and one RBI, matching Prestage's production at the plate. Nader Gulamhusein provided consistency at the top of the order, going 2-for-4 and helping generate opportunities offensively.

Braden Franks and Colby Chapman also contributed with base hits as Howard Payne totaled six hits in the game. On the mound, Trace Garcia worked through five innings, striking out seven batters in a gritty outing before Kaleb Kuligowski came on in relief and held ETBU scoreless in his inning of work.

Despite the effort, ETBU used timely hitting to pull away late, handing Howard Payne a 7-2 loss in the opener.

Game two proved to be a tougher climb, but the Yellow Jackets still found a few bright spots in the nightcap.

Howard Payne pushed across its lone run in the first inning as Joshua Lile brought home Nader Gulamhusein with a sacrifice fly. Gulamhusein reached base to start the inning and once again set the table at the top of the lineup.

Jace Mackenzie and Landon Prestage each recorded doubles in the game, accounting for both of Howard Payne's hits. Prestage continued his steady day at the plate, finishing 1-for-3, while Mackenzie added a 1-for-2 effort.

On the mound, Brant Wilson got the start, with Bryce Kolb and Kallin Koehl providing relief innings. Kolb worked two innings out of the bullpen, while Koehl closed out the game.

While ETBU's offense found its rhythm, the Yellow Jackets continued to compete inning by inning, looking to string together momentum against a deep lineup.

"We faced a really good club today, and while the scores don't show it, we had guys step up and compete. We saw some quality at-bats and a few big swings that we can build on. It's about staying locked in, learning from it, and being ready to respond in the next one." Said Head Coach Stephen Lynn. 

Howard Payne will look to bounce back and carry those positive individual performances into the series finale on Friday evening.