March 20th, 2009
Box Score
(Photo of Clay Childress by Tim Clark)
BROWNWOOD, Texas -- Clay Childress hit a solo home run in the ninth inning to lift Texas Lutheran to an 8-7 win Friday over Howard Payne.
At HPU's Don Shepard Park in Brownwood, the Childress blast to left-center capped a five-run outburst by the Bulldogs over the final three innings of play. The home run was the third of the season for the junior first baseman Childress (Houston/Jersey Village/Eastfield JC).
TLU improved to 15-9 overall and to 4-3 in the American Southwest Conference West Division.
Howard Payne dropped to 11-11 overall and to 4-3 in the ASC West.
Drew Farr (Taylor/Taylor) and Ryan Nokelby (Santa Fe, Texas/Santa Fe) drove in a combined five runs for TLU. Farr was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Nokelby collected four hits in five at-bats with two RBI.
Jeremy Macklin (Austin/Bowie/Huston-Tillotson) put TLU up 6-5 in the eighth with a single. The hit came as HPU attempted to put Macklin on base with an intentional walk. Macklin's singled scored Kyle Harvey (Houston/Houston Christian), who had doubled. Macklin moved to second and aid on a throw and an error and then scored on a Farr double.
Macklin pitched the final 1-1/3 innings for TLU and did not allow hit. He struck out two and walked one. Macklin moved his pitching record to 2-1.
Macklin followed Jeremiah Steinert (Sugar Land/Dulles) to the hill. Steinert relieved Travis Staggs (Elmendorf/Southside/Western Texas JC), who went four innings and allowed five runs. Stinert pitched 3-2/3 innings, struck out six and did not allow an earned run.
TLU and HPU play a Saturday doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m. at Don Shepard Park. TLU will have live audio webcasts of both games from www.tlu.edu/athletics.