ABILENE, Texas - The Southwestern University baseball team's bat came alive on Saturday afternoon to go with an excellent relief appearance as they defeated the McMurry War Hawks in the rubber match by the score of 11-5.
The Pirates faced a 4-1 deficit after three innings of play, but took the lead for good in the fourth thanks to a four run inning. After scoring on a wild pitch, freshman Jacob Frankel singled home a run followed by a RBI on a fielder's choice by senior Jason McCormack, his second of the game at the time. Sophomore Byron Dowdell II put SU ahead 5-4 with a RBI double.
In the fifth, senior Ethan Hallmark singled home a run to make it 6-4 before Southwestern responded with another big inning, this time a three run seventh thanks to RBIs from Frankel, sophomore Daniel Montgomery Jr., and McCormack to push the lead out to 9-4.
Dowdell and junior Colby Schmidt cracked the 10 run mark in the ninth with back-to-back RBI doubles as Southwestern blew the game wide open for the series clinching 11-5 win.
Sophomore Ian Towle pitched three complete in the start, but it was freshman Austin Smith (1-0) who shined, going six complete and allowing only one run on three hits to go with eight strikeouts in the contest, earning his first career win.
McCormack hit a new career-high in hits with three, going 3-for-6 on the day with a double and three RBIs. Dowdell added a 2-for-6 day with two doubles and two RBIs while freshman Seth Sparks was 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Frankel added a 2-for-3 day with two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored while Montgomery was 2-for-4 with a double two walks, a RBI, and two runs scored.
Five different Pirates had a steal in the contest in Montgomery, Sparks, Hallmark, Frankel, and junior Cole Kelly.
Southwestern moves to 2-4 overall and will look to build that momentum into Tuesday as they head to Belton for a 6 PM match-up against Mary Hardin-Baylor.