AUSTIN, Texas – Michael Evan had four hits and drove in three runs, as the eighth-ranked Concordia University Texas baseball team collected a 7-1 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor in the American Southwest Conference series opener on Friday night at Tornado Field.
Evan posted three singles and a double to lead the charge at the plate. The freshman outfielder broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth with a two-run single through the left side of the infield. He struck again in the eighth with a double off the wall in right that brought in a run.
The Tornados (28-9, 22-5 ASC) pounded out 10 hits on the night.
Connor Bertsch added two knocks, including a double, and he drove in a run.
Cole Calder also had two hits and he scored twice.
Ragan Pope improved to 5-2 on the year after limiting the Cru (18-19, 15-13 ASC) to one run in five innings of work.
He then turned the ball over to the bullpen, and three relievers held Mary Hardin-Baylor scoreless the rest of the way.
Justin Traxler pitched the final three frames to earn his fifth save of the campaign.
Casey Frazier (1-3) suffered the loss after yielding three runs on seven hits over six panels.
The two teams will close out the series with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Concordia Texas will honor six seniors – Calder, Pope,
Cameron Cox,
Daniel Garza,
Jake Irby and
Cody Zinn – between the two contests.
