McKenzie

CONWAY, Ark. - Hendrix drew a school-record 17 walks in Friday's 14-7 series-opening win over DePauw (Ind.). The Warriors improve to 11-0 at Warrior Baseball Field.

At 12-0, Hendrix continued its best start in program history and broke a tie with UT Dallas (Texas) for the longest active win streak in the country.

The 17 walks induced are the most in Division III this season, one more than the 16 drawn by Spalding (Ky.) against Wheaton (Ill.) on Feb. 26.

The Warriors' Owen Shaw drew four walks, which tied a program record and is second most by a player in Division III this year behind the five of Alex Gonzalez of Piedmont (Ga.) against Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) on Feb. 12.

Adam Bland drew three free passes in the win. Drake Job, Rail Gilliam and Rally Miller recorded two apiece.

Hendrix broke a two-all tie with six runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the third inning and was aided by two Tigers' errors. Gilliam scored from third base on a throwing error by Brennan Roach, his second of the contest, on a failed pickoff attempt, giving R.J. Thomas' squad a 3-2 advantage. With the bases loaded, Shaw and Tyler Beard scored on a fielding error by Danny Sheehan. Two batters later, a Juan Pablo Leon two-run single made the score 7-2. With the bases juiced again, a Gilliam RBI walk pushed his team's lead to six.

An Evan Barnes RBI single and Kyle Callahan two-run triple cut the DePauw (3-3) deficit to 8-5, but the Warriors responded by pushing six insurance runs across home plate in the next three innings. A Job RBI walk in the sixth with two outs gave his squad a four-run cushion. In the seventh, Shaw scored from first on a play which also featured a Miller RBI single. A Tyler Webb RBI single with two outs gave Thomas' unit a 12-7 lead. 

The Tigers and Warriors each put a two-spot on the scoreboard in the eighth. Nick Nelson and Cameron Allen recorded a RBI groundout and RBI single, respectively, in the top of the frame. Miller produced a two-run single in the home half of the inning.

Miller ended 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Leon plated two. Shaw scored three times, while Bland, Gilliam and Webb each touched home twice.

Hendrix pounded out 13 hits.

David Blackburn (3-0) pitched five innings for the win, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Gunner Hopkins struck out the side to close the game in his only inning of relief.

Allen ended 3-for-5.

Joe Runnells (0-1) took the loss and was chased from the mound after just 2.2 innings, surrendering six runs, three earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts and four walks on 64 pitches. Will Lucas allowed three runs, one earned, on two hits with a strikeout and seven walks on 78 pitches in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen. Cameron Hawk gave up three earned runs on as many hits with as many walks against two strikeouts in two innings. Justin Pelley allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit with two strikeouts and three walks in one inning.

DePauw committed a season-high five errors.

The Warriors and Tigers conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch in game one is set for noon CT.