SEGUIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas baseball team exploded for a four-run sixth inning to gain the lead in a back-and-forth affair, holding on to take a 6-5 victory over Texas Lutheran on Tuesday.
 
Owen Hill's two-run blast and Casen Novak's two-RBI double highlighted the big sixth inning for the Tornados, lifting them to a 6-4 lead, and CTX ended the game on top 6-5.
 
Nine different pitchers toed the rubber for the Tornados, and Hayden Schroeder was credited with the win for his 1.2 innings of work out of the bullpen in which he suffered one run on one hit.
 
The Tornados jumped out to an early lead in the first inning after Dalton Watts hit a one-out single and made his way around the bases, eventually scoring on an RBI single from the bat of Grayson Lee to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Texas Lutheran found some offense in their second trip to the plate, pushing across two runs on back-to-back RBI hits to take a 2-1 lead after two innings.
 
In the following frame, CTX evened the score after Watts led off with a single and later scored on an error from TLU.
 
After two quiet innings, the Bulldogs jumped back out in front thanks to a two-RBI double before Schroeder entered the game and forced a double play, ending the TLU threat. However, the Tornados found themselves in a 4-2 hole heading into the sixth inning.
 
The Tornados provided the answer in their next trip to the plate, putting together an explosive four-run sixth inning. Grayson Lee led off by lacing a double into left center, and Hill followed by crushing a two-run homer. Next, Mason Dubois and Marcus Thach worked walks and set the table for Novak's two-RBI double, putting the Tornados ahead 6-4.
 
Texas Lutheran cut the lead in the half in the bottom of the inning, bringing the score to 6-5 thanks to a sacrifice fly.
 
The Bulldogs came to the plate with one final chance to score in the bottom of the ninth, but Otto Franz slammed the door, striking out two and recording his second save of the year.
 
Next, the Tornados will travel to Clarksville, Arkansas for an American Southwest Conference showdown with Ozarks. The two teams will play a three-game set, starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.