March 15, 2007
The Hardin-Simmons/McMurry Classic turned out to be a tough two days for the Southwestern University baseball team as the Pirates went 0-3 with losses to Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and #7 Marietta College on Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 13-14) in Abilene, TX.
Hardin-Simmons 13, Southwestern 0
In the first game of the day at Hardin-Simmons, neither team scored in the first three innings. In the bottom half of the fourth, the Cowboys struck for four runs on SU starter Wes Willis (Austin, TX/Austin HS). HSU added a run in the fifth and then made the lead double-digits with six in the sixth.
The Cowboys scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to go up 13-0. Southwestern did not record a hit until the eighth inning off Hardin-Simmons pitching.
Willis took the loss for the Pirates with his record falling to 0-4. He lasted five innings, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits while striking out three. SU recorded just two hits while Hardin-Simmons pounded out 15 hits.
The Pirates and Cowboys will meet again on Wednesday (Mar. 21) in Georgetown, TX.
McMurry 17, Southwestern 7
In the nightcap, the Pirates traveled across town to face off against McMurry. Southwestern took an early lead with a first inning run off a Ryan Bellomy (Dallas, TX/Jesuit HS) single that scored Brent McMullen (Irving, TX/Nimitz HS) from second base. McMurry immediately answered with two runs on three-straight hits in the bottom of the inning.
Bellomy drove in another run in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. McMurry, however, came right back with five runs on eight hits in their half of the third frame. In the fourth, McMurry poured on six more runs to build the lead to 13-2. By the end of the sixth inning, SU was trailing 16-3.
The Pirates' biggest offensive inning was the seventh, scoring three runs in the inning and getting a pair of doubles from Richard Falcone (Houston, TX/Westside HS) and McMullen. This pulled Southwestern to 16-6. Both teams scored a single run in the eighth inning for the final score of 17-7.
Senior Andy Morrison (Austin, TX/Connally HS) suffered the loss, allowing 10 earned runs on 13 base hits. He struck out two and walked two in three innings of work. His season record stands at 3-3.
Both Falcone and McMullen collected three hits with two doubles a piece. Falcone scored twice while McMullen scored twice and drove in one run. Bellomy and Derek Berger (Houston, TX/Spring Woods HS) both drove in a pair of runs, scored once and had two hits. Sophomore Michael Murphy (Houston, TX/Austin HS) was 2-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
#7 Marietta 13, Southwestern 7
On Wednesday (Mar. 14), the Pirates took on the defending NCAA Division III champion Marietta and came out on the losing end, 13-7.
The SU offense was ready to go, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning thanks to two doubles and three singles. Murphy drove in a pair of runs with two-out double with a 3-2 count. The Pioneers answered in the bottom of the second with five runs of their own on just three hits.
In the third, the Pirates regained the lead on a two-run single by first-year Matt Clark (Spring, TX/Klein HS) that scored Jamie Herrmann (Houston, TX/Westside HS) and Murphy to put SU ahead 7-5. Marietta added three to its total in the fifth and five more in the seventh to take the lead and put Southwestern away, 13-7.
SU pitchers issued nine walks in the contest. Junior Scott Rogers (Flower Mound, TX/Marcus HS) was saddled with the loss in relief. The right-hander gave up five earned runs on five hits in four innings and his season record is now 1-4.
Murphy went 1-4 in the game, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Herrmann scored two runs while Bellomy and Mark Noggle (Houston, TX/Clear Lake HS) both enjoyed a 2-4 day at the plate.
With the three losses, the Pirates overall record moves to 7-14. SU is now just 2-8 on the road.
Southwestern returns home for a six game stretch with the first game coming on Tuesday (Mar. 20) at 7:00 p.m. against Cardinal Stritch University in Georgetown, TX.
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