AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas baseball team split a doubleheader against Sul Ross State in their home opener, riding a stellar pitching performance from
Colton Hunter to a win in game one and falling victim to a comeback in game two on Friday.
Hunter turned in a gem in the opening game, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out 10 in a complete game of work. A sacrifice fly from
Grayson Lee and a two-RBI single from
Mac Surles provided the run support, and Hunter earned his first win of the season in a 3-1 Tornados victory.
After Hunter retired the first nine hitters in order, the Tornados opened the scoring in the bottom half of the third inning.
Dalton Watts led the frame off with a triple to right center, and Lee followed with a sacrifice fly, bringing home the run and giving Concordia Texas a 1-0 lead.
Riding a 1-0 lead to the sixth inning, the Tornados tacked on a few insurance runs in the bottom half. Mason Dubois led off with a single and
Riley Becker followed by reaching base with a hit by pitch, putting two runners on for a sacrifice bunt from
Kalen Moreno. Pinch hitting with runners on second and third, Surles delivered, driving a single to right field and bringing home two runs. Heading into the final frame, CTX now led 3-0.
The Lobos strung together a pair of two-out hits in the seventh, plating their first run of the game, but Hunter forced a groundout to close the door on a 3-1 victory for the Tornados.
In game two, Concordia Texas an early 3-0 lead, but SRSU held them there and scored four runs in the seventh and eighth inning, handing the Tornados a 4-3 loss in the nightcap.
Otto Franz turned in a dominant start on the mound, pitching five innings of one-hit baseball and striking out 12 along the way.
In the first inning,
Aaron Gomez worked a leadoff walk and Watts and
EJ Sanchez strung together a pair of singles, loading the bases for an RBI from
Kaden Kleinert on an SRSU error. Next, Surles picked up his third RBI of the day, reaching on a fielder's choice and giving the Tornados a 2-0 lead after one.
The Tornados added another run in the second inning after
Sterling Stephens recorded a one-out double and came around to score thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Gomez. With two innings in the books, CTX extended the lead to 3-0.
After a quiet game through the middle innings, Sul Ross State pushed two runs across in the seventh on an RBI double and a passed ball, bringing the score to 3-2.
In the bottom half of the seventh, the Tornados put two runners on base when Gomez singled and Lee was intentionally walked, but SRSU found a way out of the jam.
The Lobos took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth, stringing together a pair of hits and a walk and advancing around the bases on two wild pitches.
The Tornados loaded the bases in the bottom half as Dubois reached base and Becker picked up his second hit of the day, but a lineout double play ended the frame without a run.
Looking for some heroics in the bottom of the ninth, the Tornados ran into bad luck as a laser off the bat of Watts was caught and turned into a double play, and the CTX threat ended without a run. Ultimately, the Tornados dropped game two 4-3.
Concordia Texas will finish the three-game set with the rubber match on Saturday, playing at 1 p.m. at Tornado Field for the series win.
