HOUSTON – The HBU baseball team got strong showings from both their pitchers and hitters in taking two games from Central Arkansas by scores of 10-1 and 9-2 on Friday as part of a doubleheader at Husky Field.
The Huskies (11-11, 3-2 SLC) outscored UCA (11-6, 6-2 SLC) 19-3 and out hit the Bears 29-12 in pulling even on the season at 11-11. The victories also gave UCA, who entered the series 6-0 in Southland Conference action, its first losses in league play.
Junior
Brandon Morones turned in two multi-hit games, going 5-for-7 in total with four runs scored. Senior Sam Wiggins followed Morones with a 5-for-9 day, with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. After a 1-for-4 showing in the first game, Wiggins closed the afternoon with a 4-for-5 performance. In total, five Huskies recorded hits in both games.
Senior
Taylor Wright (4-2) went the distance in the series opener to pick up the first complete game of his career. The native of Habersham, Georgia, also logged a career-high nine strikeouts in limiting the Bears to just one run. Wright scattered five hits, including a home run in the sixth inning, and two walks on 116 pitches and 33 batters faced.
In the second game, junior
Matthew McCollough (5-1) recorded a similar outing, holding UCA to two runs, both coming on a home run in the seventh, across eight innings. McCollough fanned eight and walked one across 31 batters faced before giving way to junior
Dylan Zarosky, who pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the series win.
HBU taxed Bear starter Brandon Hagerla (3-1) for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead in the series opener. Morones,
Andrew Alvarez,
Thomas Clay,
Zach Nehrir and
Louie Payetta all singled in the frame.
The Huskies, after adding one run in the third, plated five more across the sixth (1), seventh (3) and eighth innings (1) to break the game open and give Wright plenty of cushion as he retired the side for his fourth time on the day in the ninth.
HBU again got on the board early in the second game, plating two in the bottom of the first off UCA's Riley Echols (2-1). Nehrir walked and advanced to second on a sac bunt, before senior
Curtis Jones delivered him on a single to right field. Jones, who advanced to second on the throw to the plate on the play, quickly moved up to second on a wild pitch in the next at bat, before Wiggins drove him home on a single through the left side.
The Huskies added three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, later scoring one more in the eighth for the 9-2 victory. In total, HBU was issued seven walks and had three batters hit by a pitch by the Bear pitching staff.
The Huskies will go for the series sweep of UCA on Saturday in a 1 p.m. first pitch.
