LAWTON, Okla. – The Cameron baseball team came back four times in the rain-delayed marathon to knock off UT Permian Basin 11-10 with a two-run bottom of the ninth at McCord Field Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies saw a two-out two-strike pitch on the final four at-bats in the game, with all four players reaching base. Drew Durst singled, Zac DeLong was plunked, then Kai Hershberger reached on an error by the Falcons shortstop, which allowed Colby Flood to score, and Will Bradley scored the winning run off the game-ending error by the UTPB third baseman off the bat of Spencer Simpson.
Durst went 2-for-4 with three runs, an RBI, a home run, a stolen base, and a walk. Randy Aberouette was 1-for-3 with three RBI, a run, and a home run, Kody Bigford was 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, Jayce Clem had a 1-for-3 game with three runs, an RBI, a home run, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk, Kai Hershberger went 1-for-5 with two RBI, a run, and a home run, Trent Mallonee was 1-for-4 with a double, and Hunter Smith had a 1-for-5 outing with a run, an RBI, and a home run.
Durst got the start for the Black-and-Gold, pitching three innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out two. Colton Popp threw 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits with a strikeout. Garrett Klein won, pitching the final 4.1 innings surrendering five runs, four earned on six hits and collecting four strikeouts.
Hershberger started the scoring with a two-run moonshot over the scoreboard in right in the second.
UT Permian Basin responded with three runs in the third to take a 3-2 lead.
The Aggies answered in the bottom of the frame with back-to-back home runs by Clem and Durst to regain the lead at 4-3.
In the fifth, the Falcons got a run from a solo home run and a passed ball to take a 5-4 lead.
Clem scored off an Aberouette fielder's choice, and Durst stole home to make it 6-5 after five innings.
UTPB kept the pressure on as they would get three runs off two home runs in the sixth to build an 8-6 lead.
Smith cut it to a one-run game with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.
On the second pitch, after an hour rain delay in the bottom of the seventh, Aberouette unloaded a two-run home run to left-center to make it 9-8 Cameron.
The Falcons tied it in the eighth and took a one-run lead in the ninth before the final comeback happened.
The Aggies will travel to UT Tyler on Thursday, April 6, for the series opener at 7:00 pm.
