ABILENE, Texas – A three-run homer from Chase Allen gave Southwestern an early lead as the Pirates held on to a 6-5 win over Hardin-Simmons Tuesday night in non-conference baseball action at Hunter Field.

The Pirates improved to 14-26 on the season and won their fourth straight game. The win avenged an earlier loss to the Cowboys in Georgetown as Hardin-Simmons fell to 14-20 overall.

Allen belted his bomb with two outs in the top of the first inning that scored Zach Lynch and Clayton Sparks. Both Sparks and Lynch had singled with two outs as the Pirates jumped out to the early lead.

Starters for both teams settled in as Southwestern's Jason Stading and Colten Seeton held the Cowboys to three runs through the first five innings.

Seeton left after the fifth as the Pirates added a run in the third on an RBI single from Tyler Bludau and a sacrifice fly from Clayton Sparks. Sparks' team-high 25th RBI gave the Pirates a 5-2 after four innings.

In the top of the seventh Tyler Herriage pushed Bludau home with an RBI ground out. Bludau had led off the inning with a single and was one of seven Pirates to finish with multiple hits going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Cowboys posted a late rally in the eighth and add a run in the ninth before Michael Platz shut the door on HSU for his first save on the year.

Southwestern returns to the diamond Friday as they open the action at the SCAC Baseball Championships against Trinity. The Tigers swept six games from the Pirates during the regular season as first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.