The Pirates split their conference series in Sherman against Austin College this weekend to pull them within a game of .500 in conference at 2-3 and 4-6 on the season.

Game one on Saturday was a heartbreaker for the Pirates as they were up 3-0 going into the bottom of the 7^th inning.  The Pirates struck first in the 5^thafter a leadoff single by sophomore short stop Charlie Garrett and a walk by junior second baseman Nate Shipp put runners at 1^st and 2^ndwith no outs.  After a fly ball, runners were at the corners for sophomore catcher Johnny Gavrel who singled to left field for the first run of the ballgame.  The Pirates would add to the lead in the 7^thafter a leadoff single by Shipp and an RBI double by first year first baseman Brett Martin.  The bases would later be loaded thanks to a single by junior centerfielder Cray Betts and a walk by sophomore DH Lance Gottardy.  Senior right fielder Patrick Keenan would earn an RBI on a bases loaded walk to make the score 3-0.  The Roos would get out of the inning on a line drive hit right at the Austin College first baseman.  The bottom of the seventh was the undoing for the Pirates.  The Pirates gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and weren't able to recover in the final two innings to lose the game 4-3. 

Alan Lowry took the loss for the Pirates.  Brantley Freeman, Matt Stuart, and Alan Lowry combined for only 6 hits and 8 strike outs on the day.  The top 4 batters in the order for Southwestern (Garrett, Shipp, Martin, Gavrel)  each had 2 hits on the day with Gavrel, Martin, and Keenan driving in one run a piece.

The second game of the series was as exciting as the first.  Chris Chruchwell earned the win for the Pirates with a masterful complete game.  He allowed just 1 earned run and totaled 9 strike outs in 9 innings.  Southwestern would get on the board in the 3^rd inning to answer Austin College's 2 runs in the bottom of the second.  After reaching on a fielder's choice and moving up on a walk to Shipp, Garrett was driven home on an RBI single by Brett Martin to pull the Pirates within one.  Southwestern would tie the game up at 2 in the 6^th when Gavrel and Betts both drew 2 out walks to set up sophomore right fielder Ross Meyer for an RBI single up the middle.  After an unearned run put the Roos up in the bottom of the 6^th, Gavrel would drive in Garrett to tie the game up once again.  After holding Austin College scoreless in the bottom of the 8^th, Southwestern sent pinch hitter Patrick Keenan to the plate in the top of the 9^th.  Keenan gave the Pirates the lead for good on a home run to left field.

The Pirates take the field again on Tuesday at 5 pm against Texas Lutheran University.