BELTON, Texas – Trailing 4-1 heading into the eighth inning, the Macalester College baseball team rallied for six runs in the final two innings to beat the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 7-4 Friday night at Red Murff Field. The Scots even their record at 2-2, while the Crusaders drop to 7-4.

In the first of three games with Mary Hardin-Baylor this weekend, Macalester scored a run in the top of the first inning. First year outfielder John McMurray (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by junior infielder Holden Peacock (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid School) and came home on a grounder by senior catcher Stephen Paulsen (Middleton, Wis./Middleton). The Crusaders answered with two runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the fifth for a 4-1 advantage.

The comeback began in the top of the eighth, with Peacock and Paulsen hitting back-to-back singles. After the runners moved to second and third on a groundout, sophomore outfielder Tristan Lander (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) singled home Peacock, with Paulsen also scoring on the play to make the score 4-3. With pinch runner Brennan Murley (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) on second, sophomore Connor Davison (Redwood City, Calif./Woodside) delivered a pinch-hit double to plate Murley with the tying run.

After senior pitcher Jamie Loizeaux (Albany, Calif./Albany) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, the Scots put runners on second and third on a pair of errors and a sacrifice bunt by Peacock. An error on a grounder by Paulsen allowed McMurray and senior outfielder Raymond McCaskey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Manitou Springs) to score. Senior Niko Alexander (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) followed with a single that brought home Paulsen from second to make the score 7-4 Scots. Senior pitcher Evan Kang (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Village Christian) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth to close out the win and earn the save.

Peacock went 2-for-4 with a run, and McMurray and Paulsen both scored two runs in the win. Junior pitcher Isaiah Ramirez (Houston, Texas/Northbrook) pitched three shutout innings of relief, holding the Crusaders hitless while walking four and striking out one. Loizeaux struck out two and walked two in 2/3 of an inning. Senior pitcher Ben King (Chicago, Ill./Whitney M. Young Magnet) started and allowed four runs on seven hits while walking two and fanning four in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Macalester and Mary Hardin-Baylor play a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.