ABILENE, Texas — Southwestern baseball got double-digit strikeout performances from its pitching staff in two games and a big day from second baseman Trent Raschke to sweep the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys in a road doubleheader.
Game 1: Southwestern 3, Hardin-Simmons 0
Travis Harvey (1-0) dominated on the mound for Southwestern, matching his career-high 14 strikeouts with only one walk and five hits surrendered for his first complete-game shutout of the season.
Southwestern's ace pitcher set the tone in the first inning, retiring three of four while striking out two. Then, Harvey retired the side in order in the second and allowed just one hit in the third.
The Pirates scored two runs in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of two errors and two hits. James Vaquero led off with a single to left field, advancing to second on an error. Then, Preston Witt drew a walk, followed by an RBI by Jacob Tanner, scoring Vaquero on a fielder's choice.
After Christian Melillo flew out to center field, Henry Fisher hit an RBI double to center field for the 2-0 lead.
Hardin-Simmons threatened in the fifth, hitting back-to-back one-out singles, but Harvey stopped the Cowboys' momentum with two strikeouts.
Raschke added another run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI single to center field, scoring Fisher, who reached on a walk. Raschke finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Harvey closed the game out with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.
Game 2: Southwestern 10, Hardin-Simmons 5
Raschke continued to hit everything the Hardin-Simmons' pitching staff could throw at him, posting a career-high four hits in five at-bats, driving in three RBIs, and scoring one run.
The Pirates struck early, scoring on the game's second at-bat on a Maxwell Mims RBI double, scoring Ted Lobkowicz, who reached on an infield single.
Hardin-Simmons' starting pitcher Brandon Girod hit Vaquero and walked Witt to load the bases before striking out the next two Pirates. Then, a pitch hit Wyatt Kuhlow, scoring Mims.
Southwestern plated two more runs in the second. Raschke opened the inning with a double to right-center, and Lobkowicz singled to left, putting runners on the corners. Then, Mims singled to third to load the bases, and Vaquero walked to score one run. After Witt went down looking, Lobkowicz scored on a wild pitch.
Fisher added another run for the Pirates with an RBI single to second base, scoring Mims, who reached on a walk.
Hardin-Simmons broke through in the bottom of the fifth, hitting back-to-back two-out doubles, with Frazier scoring Ellington on a hit to right-center.
Southwestern responded in the top of the sixth. First, the Pirates loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, scoring on Kuhlow's RBI infield single. Then, after Adam Werchan fouled out, Raschke delivered a two-RBI single to center field, scoring Fisher and Tanner.
Southwestern starting pitcher Ben Ludwig surrendered four runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh inning, leaving the inning with one out to finish with eight strikeouts, allowing five runs, including one unearned run, on 13 hits.
J.J. Slack replaced Ludwig and got out of the inning, striking out four with only one walk and no hits surrendered the rest of the way.
The Pirates added another run in the eighth on an RBI single from Raschke and again in the ninth on an RBI double from Fisher.
Both Lobkowicz and Mims hit 2-for-5 with two runs scored for Southwestern, getting an RBI from Lobkowicz. Tanner and Fisher also hit 2-for-5, combining for four runs scored and two RBIs.
Southwestern improves to 6-5. The Pirates will host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., then travel to San Antonio next weekend for a three-game series against Trinity.