Belton, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team got an outstanding pitching performance but could not push across a run as the Cru fell to Schreiner University 1-0 Friday in Belton. UMHB is now 1-3 on the season while the Mountaineers improve to 4-7 on the year.
The Cru's Evan Samoff locked up with Schreiner's Kolby Kitchens for six scoreless innings in a pitcher's duel. UMHB loaded the bases in the top of the second on back-to-back base hits and a walk, but a double play ended the threat. The Mountaineers threatened to score in the top of the sixth inning, but the Cru's Caleb Davis gunned down a runner at home trying to score on a single to keep it 0-0. Schreiner finally broke the deadlock with an unearned run on Sam Pistrui's RBI single in the top of the seventh. The Cru left runners on base in each of the last three innings and moved the tying run to third in the bottom of the ninth, but could not even the score.
Kitchens scattered five hits over eight and two-thirds innings to raise his record to 2-1 and Payton Stanford recorded the final out for his fourth save of the year for Schreiner. Samoff allowed three hits and struck out five in six scoreless innings for UMHB. Andrew Hutchings (0-1) took the loss despite giving up just an unearned runs and three hits in three innings. Five different players had hit for the Cru. Reese Hohhertz and Tristan Spiller both had two hits for the Mountaineers.
UMHB will continue its home stand with a 6:00 PM non-conference game against Southwestern University Tuesday at Red Murff Field. The Cru will then play a non-conference game at Howard Payne on Thursday before hosting the Yellow Jackets for a doubleheader next Saturday.
