Eagles turn in well-rounded effort to eliminate USW in Sterlington

STERLINGTON, Louisiana — A total team effort ensured the A&M-Texarkana Eagles would live to fight another day at the RRAC Baseball Championship, as the Eagles paired solid offense with effective pitching Saturday for a 10-3 win over University of the Southwest in an elimination game at the Sterlington Sports Complex.

The Eagles (24-23) scored in seven different innings and Gage Mason (5-2) tossed seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven and giving up just one run. By the time Mason left the bump, the Mustangs (22-28) were facing an 8-1 deficit, and their four-hit offensive effort was far from enough to get it done.

Hunter Reid hit his 11^th home run of the season, Luke Hyzdu, Kyle McMullen and Masashi Takegama doubled and six different players drove in at least one run while the Eagles scored two in the first, sixth and seventh innings, and one run in the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth frames.

McMullen finished with three hits and drove in three runs, Hyzdu had two hits and drove in a pair, and Dakota Leopold knocked in two runs. Brandon Riley reached base three times and scored three runs.

The Eagles advance to the third day of the tournament to face No. 2 seed Louisiana Christian, which suffered a humbling 13-2 defeat Saturday at the hands of Houston-Victoria. Sunday's elimination game is scheduled for 1 pm, and the winner will advance to a 5 pm elimination game against the winner of LSU-Alexandria and Our Lady of the Lake, who also square off tomorrow at 1 pm.