SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College baseball team found itself trailing 6-1 early but erupted for 13 runs over a three-inning stretch and never looked back, topping McMurry University 16-9 on Tuesday night in non-conference action. The 'Roos are now 11-11 overall on the year.
McMurry struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but Austin College countered back with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Brett Taff's sacrifice fly brought Oscar Gonzalez home to even things up. However, the War Hawks would take advantage of four walks and four wild pitches in the second to score five runs and go ahead 6-1.
In the bottom of the third, the 'Roos exploded for seven runs to take an 8-6 lead, with Taff and Bennett Reagan each driving in a pair of runs to highlight the inning. Three more runs crossed in the fourth, with Justin Alphonse driving in two. McMurry got one run back in the fifth, but in the bottom half of that inning Alphonse brought two more runs home as part of another three-run inning to make it a 14-7 game.
Gonzalez and Taff each drove in a run in the sixth to make it a 16-7 game, and after McMurry plated a pair in the eighth, Taff came on to close things out in the ninth to make it a 16-9 final.
Taff finished the game 2-for-2 with four RBI and three runs scored, and Alphonse was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Reagan was 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Aneurin Minson picked up his first career victory in relief, surrendering one run on three hits in 3.0 innings of work.
Austin College gets back into Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play this weekend as they host Southwestern University with a single game on Friday night at 7:00 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.