The Pirate baseball team got their season jump started with a first game victory Saturday in the first game of the double header.  Senior pitcher Chris Churchwell (1-0) earned the win with junior pitcher Chris Webber getting his first save of the season. 

The Pirate offense started the day off strong when, after a walk and a hit by pitch to Nate Shipp and Brett Martin, Cray Betts blasted a triple off the center field wall to drive home the first two runs of the Pirates' season.  The Tornados threatened in the bottom of the 1st after a leadoff single, but catcher Johnny Gavrel erased the baserunner with a strong throw on a steal attempt.  In the top of the second, senior outfielder Patrick Keenan sent a line drive sailing over the left field wall for a solo home run to lead off the second inning. 

This proved to be all the offense the Pirates would need thanks to strong outings by Chris Churchwell, 3 innings with 0 earned runs, Matt Stuart, 3 innings with one earned run and a strike out, and Chris Webber, 1 inning with 2 strike outs.  The strong pitching combined with the excellent infield defense (Kyle Belski-1B, Nate Shipp-2B, Charlie Garrett-SS, Zac Cleveland-3B) proved to be enough to hold the Tornados and take the win 3-2. 

The nightcap of the double header didn't come so easily.  After the Tornados went up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st, the Pirates answered back in the 3rd when, after a one out single by Jay Sterling and an excellent sacrifice bunt by Charlie Garrett, junior second baseman Nate Shipp launched a ball into deep left center for a double, driving in the Pirates' 1st run and evening the score at 1-1.  Southwestern would take the lead in the next inning after three hard hit singles by senior Kyle Belski, first year Brett Martin, and junior Cray Betts loaded the bases with no outs.  After a strike out, senior Patrick Keenan stepped up and delivered once again with a line drive to centerfield to score Belski.  Unfortunately, this would be all the Pirates could do in the inning after another strike out and a well hit ball right at the second baseman by third baseman Jay Sterling. 

The bottom of the fourth saw three runs come across for the Tornados to take the lead 4-2.  After losing the lead the Pirates couldn't get anything else going and seemed snake bit as several hard hit balls seemed to struggle to find holes.  Mistakes would cost Southwestern more runs and lead to a 10-2 defeat.  Senior Brantley Freeman started on the mound for the Pirates and had a strong outing going 3 innings with 1 earned run and 1 strike out.  Senior Nick Cox had a strong outing to close, retiring the side in his 1 inning of work.  Eric Kegley (0-1) was handed the loss for the Pirates.

One the day, Patrick Keenan had 2 hits and 2 RBI, Cray Betts had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Nate Shipp had 1 hit and 1 RBI.  Kyle Belski, Nate Shipp, Brett Martin, and Jay Sterling scored the runs for the Pirates.

Southwestern will return to action against Texas Lutheran University in Seguin this Tuesday at 2 pm.