KERRVILLE, Texas – The Southwestern University Pirates scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning, winning its conference opener against Schreiner University 11-6 in extra innings.
Southwestern pitcher Austin Smith got off to his roughest start of the season, giving up three runs in the first inning but recovered to pitch eight innings with nine strikeouts, giving up 10 hits and five runs.
Smith struck out the first hitter he faced but gave up back-to-back singles and a walk before getting a second strikeout. Schreiner's Jeffrey Williams followed with a three-RBI triple.
The Pirates got on the board in the top of the fourth, getting a leadoff walk from Colby Schmidt to setup a RBI-triple by R.J. Senining. Senining scored on a sacrifice fly form Ethan Hallmark to bring Southwestern to within 3-2.
Schreiner added another run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Reece Hohhertz and the Pirates responded in the sixth with a RBI double from Chase Thinger. The Pirates took a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs when Schmidt hit a RBI-triple to score Cole Kelly and crossed the plate himself on a wild pitch.
Schreiner tied the game in the eighth with Rey Garza stealing home.
Both teams went scoreless in the ninth. Southwestern loaded the bases with one out in the 10th with Hallmark getting hit by a pitch, Thinger reaching on an error, and Hayden Craig drawing a walk. Daniel Montgomery Jr. and Kelly each walked, scoring two runs. Ted Lobkowicz followed with a three-RBI double and Senining scored Lobkowicz by reaching on an error.
Machi Horne pitched the ninth and 10th innings for the Pirates, giving up a single run in the bottom of the tenth and striking out four to pick up the win. The Pirates improved to 10-2 this season and 1-0 in conference. The series picks up again Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.