'Roos Earn Dramatic Win in Season Opener

LONGVIEW, Texas - Mason Woodhouse blasted a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to give Austin College an 8-6 victory at LeTourneau University on Wednesday evening, as the 'Roos opened up their 2023 campaign with a non-conference road game.

Austin College got on the board early on an RBI double by Brandon Hill in the first before the Jackets squared things up in the bottom half of the inning. Tripp Thoms doubled home a run in the top of the second and Branson Vrazel and Logan Ballard each brought home runs with sacrifice flies in the third to push it to a 4-1 lead for the 'Roos.

After LeTourneau got a solo homer in the bottom of the third to cut it to 4-2, Hill notched his second RBI double of the game in the fourth, making it a 5-2 Austin College lead. The Jackets got a run back in the bottom of the inning and cut it to 5-4 in the fifth, before Hill came home on a double steal in the sixth to extend Austin College's lead to 6-4. LeTourneau evened things up in the seventh, with the tying run coming home on a wild pitch, but in the top of the eighth Woodhouse launched a two-run shot to put the 'Roos back on top 8-6. Gavin Brady and Kurtis Gustafson each hurled a shutout inning to seal the win.

Justin Lambright earned the win in relief, giving up a pair of unearned runs with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work, and Gustafson picked up the save. Hill finished the game 3-for-5 with three doubles, and Thoms and Jake Trapani each had two hits in the win. Dane Jones went 2-for-3 with a homer to lead LeTourneau.