SHERMAN, Texas –The Austin College baseball team had a chance to tie things up late, but came up just short against No. 14-ranked Texas Lutheran in a 5-4 loss on Friday night at Baker Field. The 'Roos are now 13-16 overall and 6-10 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. 

Austin College heads into tomorrow's regular season-ending doubleheader against TLU needing to win one game to earn a spot in the SCAC Tournament, with the Bulldogs having already secured the No. 3-seed. Southwestern currently sits at seven conference victories, but the 'Roos hold a tiebreaker over the Pirates should Austin College pick up its seventh SCAC win tomorrow. 

Chase Almaguer threw 8.2 strong innings in the senior's final start at Baker Field, fanning five while allowing five runs – three earned – on nine hits. However, a late run with two outs in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference for the Bulldogs. 

TLU went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first, taking advantage of a throwing error in the frame, and then added two runs in the third to make it a 3-0 game. Brett Taff scored on a wild pitch in the fourth for Austin College's first run, but the Bulldogs plated one more in the sixth on a triple by Riley Schaefer to make it 4-1.

Another wild pitch by Texas Lutheran brought Oscar Gonzalez home to make it 4-2, and James Wyche homered to right field in the seventh to cut it to a 4-3 game. However, Keaton Boysen delivered a pinch hit RBI in the ninth to push the margin to 5-3. Wyche drove in a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the game would end with the tying run stranded at first. 

Wyche went 2-for-4 to pace Austin College at the plate, while Austin Dudley went 2-for-4 with a triple. Dylan Drgac earned the win for TLU, going 7.0 innings and surrendering three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts.

The 'Roos and Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season tomorrow with a crucial twinbill beginning at 1:00 p.m., following Senior Day recognition for Austin College. 

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.