CLEBURNE, Texas - Hendrix's 2026 season came to an end on Saturday night with a 7-5 loss to LeTourneau in the second elimination game of the SCAC championships. The Warriors came close to mounting a comeback down the final stretch, but ultimately could not pull out the win.
After the Warriors went down in order in the first, Williams worked around a couple of hits to retire the side with a strikeout and leave one in scoring position.
Nick Echaniz worked a two-out walk, and
Reed Ketcham through the right side to put two on base. Both reached scoring position but were left stranded to end the half inning. Williams put LeTourneau down 1-2-3 in the home second to turn it back over to the Hendrix bats, and
Chase Harris reached scoring position by pulling a one-out double down the line but the Warriors were unable to drive in the go-ahead run.
Williams recorded his third strikeout with one out in the third inning and induced a ground-out with two outs to strand a YellowJacket runner at first.
Hendrix put two on in the fourth as
Shaun Pope reached on a one-out walk and Echaniz drew a hit-by-pitch. Ketcham moved them over with a hit-and-run ground-out, but the two were left stranded at second and third to end the frame.
The YellowJackets were first on the board with a lead-off solo shot in the home fourth and added two more runs with a two-run shot right after.
Hendrix got on the board in the next half-inning.
Giancarlo Digiacomo reached on a two-out single, then scored on the next play as a couple defensive errors from LeTourneau allowed him to score from first.
A two-out homer from LeTourneau after a Hendrix two-out defensive error made it 5-2, and the YellowJackets eventually made it 7-2 with a run each in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Warriors gathered some momentum in the eighth.
Austin Rabago doubled down the left field line and then reached third on a
Ryne Dodson single. Rabago scored on a wild pitch, and Dodson then scored on a
Ryan Lang pinch-hit single.
Charlie Deaton's bases-loaded sacrifice fly scored Pope to make it 7-5, but Hendrix left runs on the board with a double play to end the inning and send it to the home eighth.
LeTourneau loaded the bases in the frame with no outs, but
Dylan Kalmus entered out of the bullpen and shut the YellowJackets down with a shallow fly and two strikeouts to leave the bases loaded and give Hendrix a fighting chance headed into the final inning.
But the Warriors were unable to complete the rally as the YellowJackets retired the side to hang on to a two-run win.
The top seven hitters in the Hendrix lineup all recorded hits, including Pope and Rabago, who each wrapped up stellar careers in the Orange and Black.
Aiden Leggett also wrapped up his Hendrix career with one inning of relief work. Leggett was named to the All-SCAC team as a relief pitcher after a career season for the senior lefty, joining Pope and Rabago and seven other Warriors on the All-SCAC teams.
Hendrix ends the season 22-21 and went 1-2 in the postseason, with their postseason win coming on Thursday night against Centenary.
