Howard Payne came out swinging in the ASC Championship elimination game in Marshall, jumping on Hardin-Simmons early with a first-inning spark that felt like a lit fuse. Huston Cornish set the table with a single, and Landon Prestage wasted no time turning momentum into fireworks, launching a two-run home run to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead.
That early edge only grew sharper in the second. Colby Chapman reached and came around to score when Jace Mackenzie punched a single up the middle, extending the lead to 3-0. Then in the third, Braden Franks added another jolt, sending a solo home run over the fence to push the advantage to 4-0.
Behind the bats, Trace Garcia worked through five-plus innings, limiting early damage as Howard Payne held control through the middle frames.
But postseason games have a way of bending the script.
Hardin-Simmons began to chip away, using a triple in the third and solo power in the fourth to close the gap. By the fifth inning, a two-run homer had evened the score at 4-4, turning the game into a late-inning sprint.
Howard Payne answered with its most resilient stretch of the day in the sixth. The inning unfolded like careful clockwork. Colby Chapman worked a walk, Braiden Hurlbutt dropped down a bunt single, and the lineup turned over with pressure building. Huston Cornish drew a walk to load the bases, and Landon Prestage delivered again with an RBI single to reclaim the lead. Moments later, Joshua Lile followed with a two-run single, stretching the margin to 7-4 and giving the Yellow Jackets new life.
Cornish finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Prestage drove in three and reached base multiple times. Joshua Lile added two hits and two RBIs, anchoring the middle of the lineup during the game's biggest moment.
Hardin-Simmons, however, had one final surge waiting.
A solo home run and a sacrifice fly in the sixth trimmed the lead to one, and after a tense seventh inning that saw the Yellow Jackets escape a bases-loaded threat, the game tipped in the eighth. A sacrifice fly tied it, and a sequence of pressure plays and a defensive miscue allowed two more runs to cross, putting Hardin-Simmons ahead 9-7.
Howard Payne put a runner on in the ninth, as Eli McNair reached and stole second to bring a flicker of hope, but the rally stalled just short, sealing the 9-7 final and bringing the season to a close.
Head Coach Stephen Lynn reflected on the fight his team showed throughout the day and the season.
"I'm proud of the way our guys competed today. We came out aggressive, responded when they pushed back, and never backed down in a tough postseason environment. This group showed resilience all year, and that sixth inning really captured who we are. It's a tough way to end it, but I'm grateful for the fight and leadership this team brought every single day."
