AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas baseball team secured the series win over Hardin-Simmons with a 9-5 win in the day's first game, splitting the doubleheader on senior day Saturday.
After walking off game one on Friday, the Tornados returned with a series win in mind, putting together a stellar game at the plate with nine runs on eight hits.
Sterling Stephens provided a two-run homer in the game, and
Brady Staedtler earned the win on the mound with a perfect inning in relief.
Hardin-Simmons struck first with a pair of RBI hits in the top of the first, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead.
Mason Dubois and
Shawn Huber answered with RBI hits of their own in the bottom half, tying the game at 2-2.
Stephens delivered the big fly in the second inning, driving a two-run shot to left field and giving CTX a 4-2 lead.
Later in the inning,
Aaron Gomez came home to score on a passed ball and
Mac Surles,
Kalen Moreno, and
Ian Perez followed with three RBI hits. After two innings, the Tornados owned a huge 9-2 lead.
Hardin-Simmons earned one run back in the following frame with a solo homer, cutting the lead to 9-3.
In the sixth inning, the Cowboys plated a pair of runs with an RBI hit and a wild pitch, bringing the score to 9-5.
Otto Franz slammed the door shut in the seventh, retiring the side in order and sealing the series win with a 9-5 victory in game two.
In game three,
Shawn Huber went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and
EJ Sanchez drove in three runs, but the Tornados were unable to gain enough ground after Hardin-Simmons took an early lead. Ultimately, the Tornados fell 8-5.
Hardin-Simmons plated the first run of the game, gaining a 1-0 lead with an RBI groundout in the top of the second.
In the bottom half of the inning, Sanchez notched his first RBI with a groundout, and Surles scampered home on a passed ball. After two innings, CTX led 2-1.
Hardin-Simmons did most of their damage in the middle innings, scoring six runs between the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take a 7-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Huber peppered an RBI single up the middle, and Sanchez followed suit with a two-RBI knock, cutting the lead to 7-5.
Hardin-Simmons added one more run in the eighth and held on, for the win, and the Tornados dropped the series finale 8-5.
After the game, Concordia Texas took time to honor their eleven seniors,
Dalton Watts,
Michael Smith,
Colton Hunter,
Easton Migl,
Ian Perez,
Kalen Moreno,
Jered Davenport,
Cameron Whitman,
Christian Padilla,
Corbin Cross, and
Noah Pendergrass, for their hard work and dedication to the program over their career as a Tornado.
Next, the Tornados will conclude the regular season with a three-game set at McMurry, beginning with a single game Friday at 7 p.m.
