Box Score

TYLER, Texas – Perhaps Deen Coleman wanted to make his first victory on the mound more interesting. But after the sophomore right-hander surrendered three consecutive bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the ninth to knot the score at four, he pitched the final 4.2 innings in scoreless fashion, Bradd Baker hit the game-winning two-run double and McMurry University upset No. 5-ranked UT-Tyler 6-4 in 13 innings.

The win gives the War Hawks a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series in round one of the American Southwest Conference Championship Baseball Tournament with the conclusion of the series set to begin Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Patriots' Irwin Field.

McMurry put up four runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Walt Williams, a run-scoring groundout by Dylan De Leon, and Kory Moench reached on an error that brought two runs to score giving the War Hawks a 4-0 advantage.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Hayden Chick tripled and scored on a T.J. Martin sacrifice fly for UT-Tyler, which cut the lead to three at 4-1.

From there both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the ninth. Michael Dibiasi recorded the first out on the mount before the Patriots recorded two-straight groundball hits to put runners on at first and second base with one out. David Ring reached on an error to load the bases before McMurry head coach John Byington brought in Coleman to save the day.

Little did Byington know that Coleman would in fact be on the mound when McMurry won, but that it would be approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes after he brought him in. Coleman walked Justin Junueau, Nick Clifton and Chick consecutively scoring all three runs, which were charged to Dibiasi.

However, from there, Coleman struck out Martin and Jake Beam grounded out to end the bottom of the ninth.

From that point, until the 13th inning, each team only allowed one base runner until the 13th inning. Jack Barkley, who came in relief of starter Chad Sherman was in his seventh inning of work, when with two outs Baker drove in his first two runs of the season in his 46th at bat of the year as De Leon and Clay Schubert crossed the plate to give the War Hawks the 6-4 lead.

Coleman responded to the pressure this time in the bottom half of the inning and retired the Patriots in order to pick up his first collegiate win on the mound.

If McMurry wins game two the series would be over and the War Hawks would move on to the championship round of four next weekend. However, if the Patriots win, it would force a third game immediately following Saturday's game two.

Weather pushed up the original start time of 2 p.m. for Saturday's game two, but instead the game will begin at 12:30 p.m.