Courtesy Hendrix College Athletics Department
CONWAY, Ark. – The Hendrix College baseball suffered a 10-5 defeat at the hands of #20 University of Texas at Tyler at Warrior Field on Tuesday night. The visiting Patriots (15-4) outhit the Warriors (5-12) 19-12. Hendrix also left 13 men on base.
The game started out as a scoreless pitcher’s duel through the first five innings. UTT finally got to Hendrix sophomore starter Nick Land in the top of the sixth when third baseman T.J. Martin led off with a base hit and first baseman Isaac Tijerina doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Shortstop William Allen followed with a base hit to right field and Garrett Machacek doubled, scoring Martin and Tijerina. Right fielder Chris Back drove in Allen on a sacrifice fly against freshman reliever Mickey Platz.
The Warriors tied the game back up with three runs in the bottom of the frame. With one out, junior Collin Radack, who tied Daniel Ward’s school-record 19-game hitting streak, beat out his second infield single of the night. Junior first baseman Thomas Weber was hit by a pitch and sophomore right fielder Matt Simmons walked to load the bases. Sophomore designated hitter John Pounds followed with a single to center field, scoring Radack. New reliever Jake Beam got sophomore catcher Seth Mobley to strike out, but sophomore third baseman Brady Newville hit a two-run single through the left side to tie the game.
Hendrix took a 4-3 lead in the seventh when freshman left fielder Zach Crenshaw led off by reaching on an error. Sophomore Ryan Ritz singled Crenshaw over and Radack advanced Crenshaw to third on a fly ball. Weber hit into a fielder’s choice at second base, allowing Crenshaw to score the go-ahead run.
The Patriots went up 6-3 in the top of the eighth on a RBI-single from pinch hitter Garrett Nelson and two-run base hit from pinch hitter Steven Paramore. The Warriors cut the score to 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth when Mobley hit an infield single and later scored on an opposite field single from Crenshaw.
In the top of the ninth, UTT scored four more times, including a RBI-double from Tijerina and a two-run double from Nelson.
Hendrix threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Weber, Pounds and Newville singled with a pair of strikeouts in between hits to load the sacks once more. Patriot reliever Derek Miller induced junior pinch hitter Jacob Perschke to fly out to end the game.
At the plate, Ritz, Radack, Pounds and Newville each had two hits for the Warriors. Tijerina hit three doubles for the Patriots and Martin and catcher Cayden Cunniff also had three hits each.
Justin Sheets (1-1) earned the win for UTT by throwing the seventh inning. Sophomore lefty Cannon Schrank (0-2) gave up the go ahead runs in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss for Hendrix.
The Warriors will return to Southern Athletic Association play at Centre College for a three-game series beginning on Saturday.