LONGVIEW, Texas – Corbin Cross picked up two hits and an RBI, and the Concordia Texas baseball team took the series opener with a 7-4 win over LeTourneau on Friday.
 
Colton Hunter made the start on the hill for the Tornados, punching out five over 4.1 innings of work.
 
After a scoreless first inning, LeTourneau struck first with a solo homerun in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Tornados pushed the tying run across in the top of the fourth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Mason Dubois, but LeTourneau answered with a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the inning, and CTX trailed 3-1 headed into the fifth inning.
 
Dalton Watts and Casen Novak led off the seventh inning with back-to-back walks, Watts scoring on an RBI single from Brandon Goynes and Novak following, courtesy of an LETU error.
 
The Tornados tacked on three more runs in the seventh, Cross picking up an RBI single and two more runs scoring on the play due to a throwing error, and CTX led 6-3 after seven.
 
In the top of the eighth, CTX piled on another insurance run as Watts scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on a single, extending their lead to 7-3.
 
The Yellow Jackets scratched another run across in the eighth, but the Tornados ultimately came out on top 7-4.
 
Hayden Schroeder recorded his first collegiate win on the mound, picking up a strikeout in 1.1 innings of work out of the bullpen, and Michael Smith earned the save after shutting the door in the ninth.
 
Concordia Texas will continue the three-game set on Saturday, squaring off against LeTourneau in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. from Conrad-Vernon Field in Longview, Texas.