HOUSTON — The offense continues to make headlines for UMHB Baseball. The latest showcase of The Cru’s capability at the plate and on the basepaths came on Tuesday night, as UMHB swept its season series with St. Thomas (TX), following up on the 17-7 win in Belton two weeks ago with a 13-5 victory over the Celts.
For the second-straight game, and the fifth time in the last seven contests, UMHB put at least 10 runs on the board. The Cru hit .395 as a team, swatting a trio of homers, along with eight stolen bases. It marks the third time this season that the Crusaders recorded at least three home runs and the fourth time the nation’s leader in stolen bases tallied eight or more in a single game.
The win improves UMHB to 12-5 overall this season, with Mike Stawski’s squad riding a three-game win streak heading into the ASC opener against LeTourneau in Belton on Thursday.
Cameron Talburt spearheaded the effort, as the ninth hitter in the lineup went 3-for-4, with two of those three being home runs. UMHB’s starting center fielder scored five runs and had four RBIs in the first multi-homer performance of his two-year career in Belton.
The first of Talburt’s four RBIs came in the second inning, giving UMHB back the lead after UST evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. With one out and the bases loaded, Talburt hit a hard ground ball to shortstop, allowing Shane Melick to score from third. Talburt reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second, with Easton Cline initially thrown out at second.
That fielder’s choice ended up setting the stage for Carson Hagan’s second clutch hit of the evening, as UMHB’s leadoff hitter doubled to left field in the ensuing at-bat. The extra-base hit brought both Talburt and Jordan Fernandez across the plate for The Cru’s first multi-run lead of the contest.
Hagan was equally key to the win, going a perfect 4-for-4 in a continuation of last week’s 4-for-7 performance, which garnered ASC Hitter of the Week honors for the senior. It was the first four-hit performance of Hagan’s collegiate career, and he walked twice as well, raising his on-base percentage by .035 from .513 to .548, a massive increase for a single game. The senior left fielder also had a pair of RBIs, joining Talburt, Melick, and Jesse Hemmerling as one of four Crusaders with multiple RBIs in the win.
Hagan and Talburt teamed up again in the fourth, extending UMHB’s lead to 7-2 on a well-executed double steal. Three at-bats after Hemmerling’s single to right field drove in a pair of runs, Hagan and Talburt found themselves standing on the corners; Hagan at first, Talburt at third. Hagan, who had singled in the previous at-bat, took off for second on the first pitch to Alejandro Sanchez III as Talburt raced home. UST catcher Gavin Mays made the quick throw to second in an attempt to nab Hagan, but the throw back home was late as Talburt slid underneath the tag.
Talburt went on to homer in both the seventh and ninth innings, extending The Cru’s margin of victory to eight, their third-largest of the season. UMHB scored the game’s final four runs, all of which came in the seventh inning or later. It was the most runs for The Cru over the last three innings of a nine-inning contest since pushing five across in that span in a 12-8 loss to Schreiner on March 4.
On the mound, Preston Blake picked up his first collegiate win, as the freshman southpaw tossed an inning of scoreless relief in the fourth. Erick Roberts earned the start, allowing two runs in 3.0 innings on four hits and a walk.
Mason Semmelman proved to be reliable out of the bullpen yet again, in his third scoreless outing of the season. The sophomore reliever tallied a new season-high in innings pitched, giving The Cru 2.0 innings with two strikeouts. Roberts was the only UMHB pitcher to face more than 10 batters (14), as UMHB went deep into the bullpen. Five relievers accounted for the final six innings, with Semmelman the only Crusader out of the bullpen to throw more than a single inning.
Up Next
UMHB now welcomes LeTourneau to the friendly confines of Red Murff Field, where the Crusaders are 6-2 this season. The Cru has played just one weekend series at home this season, winning a three-game set against Muhlenberg, 2-1, on March 14-15. Per the new ASC scheduling format, conference series now begin on Thursday, as opposed to the traditional Friday-Saturday format.
The Cru and Yellowjackets get going at 6 p.m. on Thursday, followed by Friday’s 2 p.m. doubleheader. Saturday’s series finale is set for 1 p.m., with it set to be the final regular season meeting between the two as conference foes. LETU has accepted an invitation to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference starting next fall. The Yellowjackets head to Belton at 8-11 overall, including a 2-5 record on the road.
