March 27th, 2009
(Photo of Jeremy Macklin by Ron Macklin)
SEGUIN, Texas – Jeremy Macklin drove in three runs and notched his first save as a Bulldog in Texas Lutheran’s 6-4 American Southwest Conference victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor, Friday afternoon at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field.
The win kept TLU at the top of the ASC West Division and dropped Mary Hardin-Baylor a game back in the standings. TLU now stands at 18-10 overall and at 7-3 in the ASC West Division. UMHB fell to 15-10 overall and to 6-4 in the ASC.
TLU and UMHB play a conference doubleheader Saturday at Katt-Isbel Field. The doubleheader is scheduled for a noon start. TLU will have live stats and live audio webcasts of both games Saturday from www.tlu.edu/athletics.
Macklin (Austin/Bowie/Huston-Tillotson) plated a run with a single in the Bulldogs’ three-run fifth inning. TLU grabbed a 6-2 lead in the sixth with Macklin’s two-run double to the wall in right-center. The senior third baseman/pitcher now has 47 RBI in 25 games this season, and he is hitting .452.
UMHB cut into the TLU lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. The first five batters in the frame reached with hits for UMHB, and Derek Draeger and Josh Frederick each delivered RBI singles.
The inning could have produced more runs for the Crusaders, but the Bulldogs turned a 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded. With the bases re-loaded after a hit-by-pitch, UMHB pinch-hitter Michael Garza hit a sharp line drive to center field, where TLU’s Kyle Harvey made the play moving slightly to his left.
Tom Hembree (2-0) picked up the victory for TLU with 2-2/3 innings of relief. Hembree (Burnet/Burnet) took over for starter Travis Staggs (Elmendorf/Southside/Western Texas JC). Jeremiah Steinert (Sugar Land/Dulles) turned in two innings of scoreless relief, and Macklin retired the side in order in the ninth.
TLU left fielder Drew Farr (Taylor/Taylor) hit his eighth home run of the season in the fourth inning. The homer cut UMHB’s lead down to 2-1.
TLU’s Ryan Nokelby (Santa Fe/Santa Fe) and Andrew Femath (El Paso/Montwood/Howard JC) each had three hits. Femath scored twice.
Jared Hopper took the loss for Mary Hardin-Baylor and dropped to 4-2. He allowed six runs (all earned) and struck out four. Adrian Montoya pitched the final 2-1/3 and allowed just two hits.
UMBH received three hits from R.B. Garza and RBI from Andrew White, Draeger, Frederick, and Ryan Moreau.
