BELTON, TX (April 3, 2009) - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor baseball team used timely hitting and a dominating pitching performance from Jared Hopper to post a 5-1 victory over Schreiner University Friday afternoon in Belton. The Cru improves to 17-11 overall and 8-5 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops Schreiner to 13-15 overall and 6-7 in the ASC on the year.

The game was a pitcher’s duel through five innings. Hopper was perfect through five innings and Schreiner starter Roger Ayala held the Cru to just three hits through the first five innings. UMHB did leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth. A.J. Mann reached on a two-base error leading off the sixth inning to end Hopper’s bid for a perfect game. Richard Sanchez then followed with an RBI single to end the no-hitter and shutout as Schreiner took a 1-0 lead after the top of the sixth. UMHB answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Derek Draeger led off the inning with a triple and he scored on a balk. Seth Lynn then doubled home Josh Fredrick and came around to score on an error to give the Cru a 3-1 edge. UMHB added a pair of insurance runs on RBI singles from Lynn and Ryan Moreau in the bottom of the seventh. Hopper would hit a batter in the seventh and allowed back-to-back singles with two outs in the top of the ninth before closing it out with a strikeout for a dominating, complete-game victory. Hopper allowed just three hits, struck out 13 and did not walk a batter in raising his record to 5-2. Ayala took the loss for Schreiner to drop to 4-2 on the year. Lynn was 3-3 with two RBI for the Cru and Moreau added a pair of hits for UMHB.

The two teams will close out the series with a 12:00 PM doubleheader tomorrow at Red Murff Field. The Cru will then hit the road for a 7:00 PM non-conference game at Trinity University next Tuesday in San Antonio.