Baseball sweeps Mary-Hardin Baylor

The University baseball team continued their dominance this past weekend against The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The Patriots swept its three-game series versus the Crusaders to improve to 8-1.

Senior Jeremy Harding hits the first of two homeruns during a game against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday night at Irwin Field. The Patriots won 5-3. Photo by Christy Grant

The Patriots answered back in the second inning when Chad Daleiden singled into left field and scored Brock Lemire.

In the fourth inning, the Patriots finally took the lead for good.

Jeremy Harding led off the fourth with a home run and Joe Towns scored from second on another single from Daleiden.

The Patriots kept the lead for the rest of the night, adding a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Jared Hood and a run in the eighth on a Towns solo home run. Beau Ziegler closed out the ninth for the save the 5-3 victory.

Lex Wolfe picked up his second win of the year, pitching 6 2/3 innings while striking out 10.

On Saturday, the two teams met for a doubleheader.

In game one, the Patriots put up a four spot in the first inning on doubles from Hood and Lemire and a single from Daleiden.

Hood picked up another run batted in on a solo home run to left field in the second inning. Harding scored in the inning as well, on a throwing error by UMHB shortstop Kyle Flynn.

In the fifth inning, Hood continued his offensive showcase by hitting another home run to extend the Patriots’ lead to 7-0.

The Crusaders got their lone run of the game in the sixth on a single by Josh Fredrick.

Patriots’ starter Brett Holland received the win after pitching his first complete game of the year, allowing six hits and striking out seven. Game two proved to be much of the same for the Patriots.

Kendall Fox stared off the bottom of the first with a single and scored on Hood’s third home run of the day.

Patriots’ infielder Brock Lemire throws the ball across his body toward first base Saturday during the double header against The University of Mary-Hardin Baylor at Irwin Field. The Patriots won both games and swept the weekend series. Photo by Chris Vinn

Daleiden then added a home run of his own in the second inning and Towns followed suit in the third with a two run homer that scored Hood.

The Patriots put up another three spot in the fifth on an RBI double by Lemire and Daleiden’s second home run of the game that brought in Lemire.

The Crusaders came to life in the eighth inning by scoring three runs off Patriot reliever Josh Long. Derek Draeger hit a two-run home run and Fredrick doubled to score Chris Joshlin.

Grant Campbell closed out the eighth and ninth to win 9-4.

Blake Booher remained perfect on the year at 3-0 while allowing only one run in five innings of work and striking out six.

“Our guys played really hard today and worked well together,” coach James Vilade said. “The day Jared had is exactly where Harding was last week. Hopefully we are getting better everyday. There is always things that you can do a little bit better, but from this stand point, I’m all for the effort.”

The Patriots play host to Hardin-Simmons University on Tuesday at Irwin Field before traveling to McMurry for a three-game series this weekend.

By Clay Ihlo Staff Writer