CONWAY - Hendrix elected to do it the hard way, but the Warriors ensured that their season stayed alive on Saturday evening with a compelling doubleheader split versus the Austin College 'Roos. After Austin College evened the series at 1-1 by taking the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Warriors won the series finale in comeback fashion to earn a spot in the SCAC tournament next weekend.
Game 2 (L, 8-6)
Austin College took an early lead in the first inning with both runs coming with two outs following a two-out throwing error by the Hendrix defense. The Warriors were unable to respond in their half, leaving the score at 2–0.
The 'Roos then pounced on Hendrix in the second inning, scoring five runs in what became a nightmare inning that saw Austin College take a 7-0 lead. The Warriors managed a double by
Ryne Dodson in the home second but could not capitalize.
The Warriors began to rally in the third inning when
Nick Echaniz tripled and scored on a single by
Chase Harris, who later scored on a throwing error, which cut the deficit to 7-2.
In the fifth inning, the Warriors added two more runs. Echaniz walked and advanced on an error before
Austin Rabago doubled, driving in both Echaniz and
Giancarlo Digiacomo to make it a 7–4 game after five innings.
The seventh inning saw both teams add to their totals. Austin College scored on an RBI single, while the Warriors responded with a sacrifice fly from Rabago, scoring Echaniz, to bring the score to 8–5 through seven innings.
In the ninth inning, the Warriors attempted a late comeback. Echaniz scored from third on an error after a single by Dodson, narrowing the gap to 8–6. However, the comeback fell short as the Warriors could not push across any more runs, ending the game with an 8–6 loss.
Kyle Taylor started the game for the Warriors, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing 5 earned runs on 7 hits, with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks.
Cole Joyner relieved Taylor, giving the Warriors a huge 3.1 innings of relief work and conceding only 1 earned run on 3 hits.
Braxton Waller followed with 1.2 innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out 2.
Rowan Glover closed the game with 1 inning, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2 batters.
Harris led the offense with three hits, including a double, and drove in one run. Echaniz showcased his speed and patience by scoring four runs, drawing two walks, and hitting a triple. Rabago contributed with three RBIs and a double.
Game 3 (W, 9-8)
Hendrix's loss in Game 2 set up a rubber match in the series finale, with the winner clinching a berth into the SCAC tournament. Hendrix's offense delivered with 13 hits, with over half of those being extra-base hits, to power the Warriors into the postseason.
The opening inning saw
Zane Nolan double to center field and later score on
Austin Rabago's sacrifice fly, tying the game 1–1 after Austin had taken an early lead.
The 'Roos plated two runs in the visitor second to take a 3-1 lead.
Chase Harris singled and stole second to lead off the home half and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Harris scored on
Shaun Pope's sacrifice fly, bringing the Warriors to within a run, 3–2.
Hendrix tied it up in the third inning as
Giancarlo Digiacomo doubled in
Reed Ketcham, who had singled to lead off the inning, to level the score at 3–3.
Harris scored the go-ahead run in the fourth after singling to lead off the fourth. After
Nick Echaniz reached on a fielding error, Pope bunted over Harris and Echaniz into scoring position, with Harris scoring on
Charlie Deaton's sacrifice fly to make it 4-3 in favor of Hendrix.
After a quiet fifth inning, Austin College retook the lead in the visitor sixth with a three-spot to take a two-run lead, but Hendrix's offense surged in the home half with three runs of their own. Deaton doubled and scored Pope, followed by Ketcham's single that scored Deaton for the tying run. The Warriors then scored the go-ahead run on Digiacomo's double to right center that brought in Ketcham.
Aiden Leggett worked around a lead-off double and a wild pitch to leave the tying run stranded on third with three-consecutive strikeouts to cap a stellar relief outing out of the bullpen in his final game at Warrior Field. Leggett's clutch performance in the top seventh was followed up by Dodson, who led off the home seventh with a massive solo shot to left field that went a quarter-way up the lightpole to give Hendrix an insurance run with the score at 8-6. Ketcham singled in Pope with two outs for another insurance and give Hendrix its largest lead of the night.
Rowan Glover entered in relief of Leggett in the eighth and put the 'Roos down in order with an emphatic backwards K to retire the side. Hendrix went scoreless in the bottom of the eighth to set up a save opportunity for
Braxton Waller. Waller worked around two lead-off hit-by-pitches to retire the side and leave the tying run in scoring position and, in the process, earned his 11th save of the season, which is the new single-season saves record in the SCAC history.
With the win, Hendrix advances to the SCAC tournament next weekend in Cleburne, Texas at La Moderna Field. The Warriors will enter the postseason as the fifth-seed and will take on McMurry on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 PM.
