ABILENE, Texas – The Concordia Texas baseball team came up short in an offensive slugfest, falling to McMurry 12-9 in the series opener Friday.
 
Aaron Gomez and EJ Sanchez each recorded three hits in the game, and Otto Franz drove in two runs while Dalton Watts added three RBIs of his own.
 
The Tornados struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to a two-RBI double from Franz, bringing Watts and Mason Dubois around to score and give the Tornados an early 2-0 lead.
 
McMurry earned a run back in the bottom half with a solo homer, bringing the score to 2-1.
 
The Tornados broke the game open in the second inning, beginning with an RBI triple from Sterling Stephens who also scored on the play thanks to an errant throw. Next, Shawn Huber and Gomez picked up back-to-back hits, and Watts delivered a three-run jack to extend the lead to 7-1.
 
After a pair of quiet frames, McMurry answered in the bottom of the third with an RBI double and a two-run homerun, cutting the lead to 7-4.
 
Dubois provided an RBI fielder's choice in the top of the fourth, bringing the score to 8-4.
 
McMurry evened the score in the bottom half of the fourth, plating four runs on three hits and a pair of CTX errors. Heading into the fifth inning, the game was tied at 8-8.
 
In the fifth inning, Aaron Gomez worked an RBI walk, putting CTX ahead 9-8.
 
The War Hawks provided the answer in the bottom half, pushing three runs across on four hits to take an 11-8 lead.
 
McMurry added another run in the bottom of the seventh, taking a 12-8 lead with a sacrifice fly.
 
The Tornados were unable to mount a comeback in the late innings, and ultimately fell 12-8.
 
Concordia Texas, having already punched their ticket to the ASC Tournament, will close out the regular season with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m., playing games two and three of the series with McMurry in Abilene, Texas.