Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team battled back from an early deficit and Joseph Villegas provided the heroics with a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth as UMHB posted a 6-5 win over Trinity University Tuesday afternoon in Belton. The Cru improves to 5-0 on the season with the victory. The loss drops Trinity to 1-3 to start the season.

Trinity grabbed a 1-0 lead when John Paillet scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. The Tigers stretched it to 2-0 on Kevin Calbick’s RBI fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth inning. The Cru tied it when Villegas doubled home a run and came around to score on Adam Froeschl’s single in the bottom of the sixth. Earnest Pena singled home a run and Marcus Volz added an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to put the Cru up 4-2. The two teams both tacked on runs in the eight to make it 5-3 UMHB heading into the top of the ninth. Calbick doubled home a run to cut it to 5-4 and John Prato Matthews added an RBI fielder’s choice to tie the game at five. Villegas then ripped the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth over the centerfield wall to give the Cru the victory.

Corey Dobbins earned the win for UMHB to improve to 1-0 on the season. Mike Panozzo took the loss for Trinity. Villegas went 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored and Marcus Volz added two hits for the Cru. Calbick had two of Trinity’s five hits in the game.

UMHB will continue its homestand with a three-game series against East Texas Baptist this weekend. The Cru will take on the Tigers in a 2:00 PM single game on Friday before the two teams close out the weekend with a 12:00 PM doubleheader on Saturday.