Box Score
The Patriots improved their home record to 6-1 on Thursday night when they defeated Houston Baptist, 20-6. The Patriots used 14 hits, including five home runs to improve their record to 14-8, while HBU fell to 11-14.
DBU raced out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Sophomore Ryan Enos led off with a walk and advance to third base on a single by Sophomore Austin Knight. Junior Evan Bigley then hit a triple to the left center field gap allowing two runs to score. Bigley scored on a single by Junior Trevor Head, who advanced to second on a balk, then to third on a ground out. Head scored the fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Sophomore Ryan Goins.
The Patriots extended their lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the second inning after Sophomore Ryan Thompson led off with a single and advanced to third on a double by Junior Clay Kelly. Thompson then scored on a throwing error and Kelly scored on a wild pitch.
The Huskies cut the lead to 6-3 in the top of the third inning on a lead off double and then a single to drive in the first run. Two consecutive singles and a base clearing double allowed the final two runs of the inning to score.
Goins started off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to center field. Junior Brandon Bantz then walked, advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch. Kelly reached base on a hit by pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch, which brought up Knight, who drove each base runner in on a single to right field. Bigley finished off the scoring when he hit a two run home run to left field, which made the score 11-3.
HBU scored one run on two hits in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 11-4.
Junior Nick Santos led off the bottom half of the fourth with a solo blast to left field, which brought up Goins, who doubled to right field. Goins scored on a single by Bantz, which extended the Patriots lead to 13-4.
Santos started the bottom of the sixth by reaching base on a hit by pitch and then scored when Goins hit his second home run of the game to deep right field. Bantz doubled down the left field line and scored when the Huskies second baseman committed an error, which made the score 16-4.
The Huskies scored their fifth run of the game in the top of the seventh inning after a lead off triple and then an RBI sacrifice fly allowed the run to score.
DBU scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning after Freshman Josh Wilson walked and scored on a base clearing triple by Pirtle. Junior JT Bloodworth walked to bring up Bigley, who hit his second two run home run of the game.
Senior Brett Lester improved his season record to 2-0 by picking up the victory when he pitched 4.0 innings, allowing one run, on four hits, and striking out six.
Goins led DBU at the plate by going three for four, with four RBI, and three runs scored. Bantz and Knight each had two hits, while Knight had two RBI, and Bantz had one RBI. Bigley also contributed with three hits, including two home runs and seven RBI.
DBU will be in action again on Friday night when they play Houston Baptist for the second game of the series. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 at Patriot Field.
