KERRVILLE, Texas — Southwestern baseball swept Saturday's doubleheader on the road against the Schreiner Mountaineers to win its third consecutive three-game conference weekend series.
Game 1 - Southwestern 7, Schreiner 3
Southwestern starting pitcher Benjamin Ludwig kept the Pirates in the game early, and his teammates rewarded him with run support late, opening Saturday's doubleheader with a 7-3 win.
Ludwig went all nine innings, giving up three earned runs off eight hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a solid performance to earn his third win on the mound this season. He set the tone early, retiring the first six Schreiner hitters in order, striking out three.
The Mountaineers finally got to Ludwig in the bottom of the third when Daniel Garza led the inning with a single. Garza advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a fly out to right field to set up Josh Gilliam's RBI-double to give Schreiner a 1-0 lead.
Lance Kruse gave Southwestern the lead with his three-run blast in the top of the fifth, scoring Jacob Tanner and Jake Harris.
Maxwell Mims hit a two-out triple in the sixth inning, scoring on Tanner's single to give Southwestern a 4-1 lead. Schreiner cut that deficit to one with a two-run bottom of the sixth, scoring on a Reece Hohhertz RBI-single and Garza fielder's choice with bases loaded.
Tanner and Harris struck again in the eighth. Tanner hit an RBI-double to score Mims, and Harris followed with a two-RBI double to score Tanner and Preston Witt. Ludwig ended the game as he began it, retiring the final six Schreiner hitters in order.
Tanner and Harris combined to hit 5-for-8 from the fourth and fifth spots in the lineup. Tanner went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Harris went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Game 1 - Southwestern 14, Schreiner 9
Once again, Southwestern's bats came to life late, scoring 11 runs over the final four innings to defeat Schreiner 14-9 and take the series. Southwestern went through four pitchers, giving up nine runs, eight of which were earned, on 14 hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Pirates opened the game with three runs: getting a one-out triple from Maxwell Mims followed by an RBI-single from Preston Witt. After Jacob Tanner fouled out, Jake Harris hit an RBI-triple to score Witt. He then scored on a wild pitch.
Schreiner responded with two runs in the third, leading the inning off with a walk, then a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second. The Mountaineers then reeled off three consecutive singles, scoring Gerardo Cardoza. They'd add the other run on a balk.
The Mountaineers took the lead in the fifth, scoring one on a Hernandez RBI-triple and another on an infield error for the 4-3 lead.
Landon Durdin put the Pirates back on top the next inning with a three-RBI double to score Lance Kruse, Daniel Montgomery Jr., and Harris. Ted Lobkowicz knocked Durdin in with an RBI-single.
Montgomery added an RBI-double in the seventh, and Southwestern poured it on again in the eighth with a two-run Mims home run, RBI-triple from Tanner, and RBI from Montgomery on a fielder's choice.
Schreiner scored one run on an RBI-single in the bottom of the inning. Witt hit another Southwestern home run in the ninth with Trent Raschke on base to give Southwestern a 14-5 lead.
The Mountaineers loaded the bases to open the bottom of the ninth on a single, hit batter, and walk. Jeffrey Williams followed with a three-RBI double. Devin Hooper scored Williams on an RBI-single before Trey Schwarz took the mound for Southwestern, giving up a single before inducing a groundout double play to end the game.
Mims was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Witt finished 2-for-4 with two walks, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Southwestern had 15 hits with seven walks and left nine stranded.
Machi Horne earned the Pirates' win, pitching two innings with three strikeouts and two runs surrendered, only one of which was earned.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 9-12 for the season, including 6-3 in conference play. They currently sit in fourth place in the SCAC standings behind Trinity, Centenary, and Texas Lutheran University.
Southwestern will host Centenary next weekend for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 9, at 6:00 p.m. The doubleheader will follow on the next day, starting at 1:00 p.m.