ABILENE, Texas – Howard Payne fell in a doubleheader at Walt Driggers Field to McMurry University with scores of 5-4 and 9-7 respectively.
Howard Payne falls to 15-17 overall and 4-11 in conference play and McMurry moves to 18-15 overall on the season and 10-5 in league play.
The Yellow Jackets took advantage of three McMurry walks in the top of the first and scored three runs including a steal of home plate. Then, in the third, HPU added its last run of the ball game when Taylor Zambreski singled home a run to extend the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 4-0.
However, the home team countered with four runs in the bottom of the third to tie the score at four. In the fifth, McMurry had a RBI single to drive home the winning run.
HPU’s Will Hood threw the complete game in the loss allowing seven hits, five runs, he walked one and struck out one to fall to 3-4 on the season.
In the series finale Saturday, McMurry spread out nine runs on 17 hits. Howard Payne scored five runs in the final two innings including three runs in the top of the ninth off McMurry reliever Jordan Brown.
Jonathan Morris picked up the loss for the Yellow Jackets allowing four runs in the first 2.1 innings.
The Jackets will play next weekend on April 16-17 against Mary Hardin-Baylor at Don Shepard Park.