April 29, 2006

Final Stats

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' baseball team won its first game in its best-of-three series with Louisiana College, 8-3, in the American Southwest Conference Championship, Saturday night at Hunter Field.

Cowboy starter Dalton Rucker kept the Wildcats at bay, going seven and one-third innings, allowin eight hits, two runs and striking out six. He won his seventh straight start to improve to 7-3 on the year.

The Cowboys fell behind when Louisiana College scored a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Herman Galatas. HSU responded with four runs in the third. Brad Coleman singled with two strikes to right and came around to score on a Danny Ruth triple. Michael Simpson walked and Ruth scored when Taylor Lamar reached on a fielder's choice, when the Wildcats tried to get Ruth at the plate. Simpson came around to score on a Trevor Bunte fielder's choice.

HSU added a run in the sixth on a Bunte sacrifice fly. HSU broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning. Blake Koch reached on a one-out walk and Coleman walked with two outs. Danny Ruth then singled in Koch and Coleman scored on an error. Simpson and Lamar followed with back-to-back run-scoring singles. LC added single runs in the eighth and ninth.

Ruth had two hits, drove in two runs and scored three. Simpson had two hits and Lamar had two RBIs. B.J. Savoia had three hits for LC. Scott Sumner took the loss for LC. He worked six innings and allowed four runs and five hits.

HSU improved to 26-15 on the year and LC fell to 18-23. HSU needs one win on Sunday to advance to the ASC Championship Tournament next weekend in Seguin. The first game will begin at 1 p.m.