SEGUIN â€" The Texas Lutheran baseball program gave up eight walks on the day and couldn't battle back from a 7-1 deficit, losing 9-4 at home to Mary Hardin-Baylor on Tuesday afternoon at Katt-Isbel Field.
 
Mary Hardin-Baylor scored two runs in the top of the sixth to stretch its lead to six, the largest of the game. At that point the Bulldog offense sprang to life, clawing its way back into the game and eventually cutting the deficit to 7-4 in the seventh.
 
The loss dropped Texas Lutheran's record to 5-3 in the early season. Tuesday was Mary Hardin-Baylor's season opener as it improved its mark to 1-0.
 
The big moment came in the Bulldog half of the sixth inning. Having already plated a couple of runs to get within 7-3, the Bulldogs, with the help of a couple errors by the Crusaders, loaded the bases with just one out. They couldn't put up the crooked number they needed though, as Matt King flied out to short left field before Zach Jacobs ended the inning with a ground ball to third base.
 
The Bulldogs would score another run in the seventh after a Klaus Bohrmann single down the right field line scored Alex Gutierrez.
 
They would never get closer than that though, as Mary Hardin-Baylor scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to stretch the lead back out to five.
 
Pitching, more specifically walks, were the difference in the ball game. The Bulldogs actually outhit the Crusaders 11-9, but TLU pitchers walked eight while also hitting one batter, compared to two walks and two hit batters given up by UMHB.
 
Christian DeBlanc (Kingwood, Texas) got his first start of the season on the mound for the Bulldogs and took the loss, giving up three earned runs on three hits and four walks during his two innings of work.
 
He ran into trouble in the first inning after retiring the first two batters he saw. He walked Zach Whiddon with two outs before Whiddon advanced to second on a wild pitch. He would score Rob Loewe single through the left side. DeBlanc would walk the next two batters to load the bases before hitting Tripp Reeves to force the second run home.
 
After getting through the second inning giving up just one hit, DeBlanc allowed the first two batters he saw in the third to reach base. At that point, he was relieved by Will McKinney, who walked a batter to load the bases but limited the damage, allowing just one runner to score on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Bulldogs would get on the board for the first time in the third inning on the strength of a Tony Gennusa sacrifice fly.
 
The Crusaders would score once in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to build that 7-1 advantage. The Bulldogs got those two sixth-inning runs by way of Keaton Bohrmann scoring on a throwing error after a Derek Kanas single. The second run would come across off an RBI single from Tyler Carollo.
 
Six pitchers made appearances for the Bulldogs on Tuesday. Five of those six allowed at least one earned run. The only pitcher to walk away with an unblemished mark was Cody Moore, who threw one inning and retired the side in order.
 
Ian Ekery earned the win for the Crusaders, going three innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits.
 
Texas Lutheran will continue its home stand this weekend with a three-game non-conference series against SCAC-rival Austin College. The Bulldogs and 'Roos will play a single game at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 before finishing up with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. Live video and live stats will be available via TLUBulldogs.com