AUSTIN, Texas – Cameron Cox struck out seven and allowed only one run, as the No. 1 seed Concordia University Texas baseball team topped fourth-seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor, 6-1, in the first winners' bracket contest of the American Southwest Conference Baseball Championship on Thursday evening at Tornado Field.

The Tornados (29-12) used Colton Poindexter's sacrifice fly to score Brent Schaekel in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Cox (8-3), who logged his eighth complete game of the season, allowed his only run in the fourth, when Robert Loewe scored on a double play.

Concordia Texas stretched its advantage to 3-1 in the eighth after Trevor Harlos delivered a pinch-hit, RBI single to center field, which plated Kyle Rodriguez.

Connor Bertsch then started a three-run ninth with a solo home run over the wall in left field. Gareth Hutton and Cole Calder each added run-scoring singles to give the Tornados a five-run advantage.

Bertsch was 3-for-5 with his fourth home run and an RBI, while Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double. Schaekel scored two runs and recorded an infield single.

Loewe led the Cru (26-16) with a 2-for-4 performance that included a double and a run. Chase Burrow added two hits, as well.

Mary Hardin-Baylor starting pitcher Seth Barrow (2-1) took the loss after yielding two runs (one earned) on five hits over 4.1 stanzas.

Concordia will await the winner of the No. 3 seed Texas-Dallas and second-seeded LeTourneau in a 4 p.m. contest on Friday..