ABILENE, Texas — Control issues, errors, and struggles at the plate cost the Southwestern University Pirates baseball team an 8-1 loss to the McMurry War Hawks.
Southwestern went through five pitchers, walking 10 batters, hitting another, and throwing four wild pitches. The defense compounded Southwestern's woes with four errors, allowing eight runs on five hits.
Freshman Gregory Ferguson started on the mound for Southwestern and was its most effective pitcher in three innings of work, walking three while allowing two hits and two runs, one of which was earned.
McMurry struck first, taking advantage of an error that put leadoff hitter Blake Beach on third to open the inning. Blaze Rickerson followed with a groundout to third that scored Beach before Ferguson got out of the inning.
The War Hawks added another run in the bottom of the third. McMurry put its first two hitters on with a Rickerson leadoff single and Nick Hamel walk. Southwestern's defense mitigated the damage with a 6-4-3 double play, but Rickerson advanced to third and then scored, stealing home for the 2-0 lead.
Southwestern responded in the top of the fourth inning. Christian Melillo hit a one-out triple to right-center and scored on Landon Durdin's ensuing groundout to shortstop.
J.J. Slack took the mound for Southwestern to start the bottom of the fourth inning and loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter before being replaced by Braden Anderson. McMurry scored one run on a wild pitch and another on an error to extend its lead to 4-1.
Southwestern ran into more control problems in the bottom of the fifth. Anderson walked two and allowed a single to load the bases with one out, giving up a score on a wild pitch and another on a passed ball before being replaced by Luke Richards. Richards surrendered a sacrifice fly for another McMurry run, then another score on a wild pitch before getting out of the inning with Southwestern facing a 7-1 deficit.
Braden Simpson replaced Richards on the mound for Southwestern to start the seventh inning. Simpson surrendered a single and a walk, followed by McMurry scoring one run when Beach reached on a fielder's choice.
Southwestern managed just two hits, getting one each from Ted Lobkowicz and Melillo. The Pirates also had three walks. McMurry's Kaden Sebastian started on the mound, pitching four innings while striking out seven and allowing just two hits and one run scored.
The Pirates drop to 2-2 this season and will return to action this weekend with three games in three days against Susquehanna, starting Friday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m.