There was no shortage of offense, excitement or drama during the series finale between the Sul Ross State baseball team and Howard Payne University.
Both teams combined for 53 hits, 49 runs and 10 home runs.
When it was all said and done, the Yellow Jackets overcame a 12-run deficit by rallying for 14 runs in the sixth to win a slugfest by a score of 26-23 on Saturday evening at Kokernot Field.
Sul Ross now finds itself tied for sixth-place in the latest American Southwest Conference standings.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
Howard Payne held a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before the Lobos took the lead in the bottom half of the first by rallying for four runs.
Tristan Karels hit a two-run home run to get things going.
Carsen Thor then drove in a run with a double to left center.
Matthew Wheeler followed up with an RBI single.
The Yellow Jackets cut the deficit in half by scoring a run in the top of the second.
Sul Ross put up a five spot in the bottom of the second.
Jared Roiz hit a two-run home run and then
Tye Lindsey drove in
Aaron Morales with a single.
Wheeler made the score 9-2 in favor of the Lobos by hitting a two-RBI single.
Sul Ross extended its lead to eight runs when Lindsey drew a bases-loaded walk in the third.
With their foot on the accelerator, the Lobos rallied for four runs in the fourth.
Roiz blasted a grand slam to make the score 14-2.
After being held scoreless for two-straight innings, Howard Payne scored one run in the top of the fifth.
The Lobos went up by 12 runs in the bottom half of the fifth after Roiz drew a walk with the bases loaded.
Trailing 15-3, Howard Payne used 10 hits, five of which were home runs, to rally for 14 runs to take a 17-15 lead in the top of the sixth.
Nineteen batters came up to the plate during the big rally for the Yellow Jackets.
Sul Ross came back to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Morales hit a leadoff triple and then Karels hit an RBI single. Thor later delivered the game-tying RBI single.
Howard Payne scored twice in the top of the seventh to take a 19-17 lead.
The Lobos cut the deficit to one run in the bottom half of the seventh when Morales hit a two-out RBI single.
On three hits, the Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 22-18 in the top of the eighth as they pushed across three runs.
Estevan Ortiz cut the deficit down to one run when he hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 22-21.
Howard Payne responded in the top of the ninth by scoring four runs to increase its lead to five.
The Lobos did not go down quietly in the bottom of the ninth.
Thor hit a two-RBI single to left to cut the deficit to three runs. Unfortunately, the rally ended with the bases loaded as the third baseman snagged a frozen rope for the third out.
Sixteen different pitchers were used throughout the contest.
Howard Payne tallied 30 hits to the 23 hits recorded by the Lobos.
Six Lobos had a multi-hit performance.
Roiz finished 4 for 5 with two singles, two home runs, five runs scored, two walks and seven RBI.
Wheeler tallied five singles to go 5 for 7 with three RBI.
Thor had four RBI as he finished 3 for 6 with two singles and a double. Ortiz went 3 for 7 with a single, double, home run and three RBI.
Morales recorded two singles, a triple, a walk and an RBI to go 3 for 6.
Karels went 3 for 5 with two singles, a home run, two walks and three RBI. Lindsey was walked three times as he finished 1 for 4 with a single and two RBI.
Dawson Beard started on the mound as he allowed three earned runs and struck out three batters in five innings of work.
Aidan Mow and
Derek Rojo came in for relief in the sixth as the duo faced 11 batters.
Dean Foley allowed two hits in one inning while he struck out one batter.
Brad Aynsley,
Connor Archer,
Aiden Becker and
Jacob Salinas all made relief appearances down the stretch.
>> RECORD-BREAKING:
- Scoring five runs in a game, Roiz was one shy of tying the conference record of six runs scored, which was set on April 17, 1999.
- Roiz was one at-bat shy of tying the conference record for at-bat's in a game, which is eight set on April 2, 2003.
- Wheeler came one hit shy of tying the conference record for hits in a game. The record is six, which was set on Feb. 16, 2002.
- Roiz was a home run shy of tying the conference record of three.
- Roiz tallied 11 total bases. The conference record of 17 was set on April, 9, 2005.
- Roiz is now tied for the conference-high mark in runs scored in a game (5).
- The Lobos' 48 total at-bats in the game are now third-highest for a team in the conference-only statistics.
- The 23 runs scored by Sul Ross are the second-highest recorded by a team in a game in the conference-only stats.
- The 23 hits recorded in the contest also rank second-highest by a team in the conference-only statistics.
- The 23 RBI recorded are now the second-highest mark recorded in a game in the conference.
- The four home runs in a game rank second in the team conference leader list.
- The 39 total bases are ranked second-highest in a game in the team conference leader list.
- The NCAA Division III record for combined runs in a game is 61 set back in 1993. Sul Ross and Howard Payne combined for 49 runs.
- The NCAA Division III record for combined hits in a game is 57 set in 1997. Sul Ross and Howard Payne combined for 53 hits.
- The NCAA Division III record for home runs in a game is 13, set in 1986. Sul Ross and Howard Payne combined for 10.
- The NCAA Division III record for most home runs in an inning is six. Howard Payne hit five home runs in the sixth inning.
- The NCAA Division III record for combined total bases is 97, set in 1986. Howard Payne and Sul Ross combined for 95.
- The NCAA Division III record for combined RBI in a game is 56. Sul Ross and Howard Payne combined for 47 RBI.
- The NCAA Division III record for most hits in an inning is 15, set in 1997. Howard Payne had 10 hits in the sixth inning.
>> ASC STANDINGS:
- East Texas Baptist (27-9, 21-3); 2. Concordia (24-13, 16-8); 3. UT-Dallas (22-14, 14-10); 4. (tie) LeTourneau (17-19, 11-12); and Hardin-Simmons (16-20, 11-12); 6. (tie) Howard Payne (18-19, 11-13); and Sul Ross State (15-18, 11-13); 8. University of the Ozarks (10-27, 9-15); 9. Mary Hardin-Baylor (13-19, 8-16); 10. McMurry (13-23, 7-17).
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos travel to Kerrville to take on Schreiner University for one game at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 26. Sul Ross resumes conference play Friday, April 28 with a three-game series in Belton against UMHB.
