ABILENE, Texas â€" A two-run single in the bottom of the third inning proved to be the difference, as Texas Lutheran Baseball fell 4-2 on the road Friday night against Hardin-Simmons.
 
All six runs in the ballgame were scored in the second and third innings. TLU tied things up in the top of the third only to see Hardin-Simmons retake the lead with a Jamie Ball two-run single in the bottom of the frame.
 
The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 6-3 on the season, as they now fall to 2-3 on the road. The Cowboys improved to 3-2 with the win. The two teams will meet up tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at noon to wrap up the three-game series.
 
Aaron Aleman (Corpus Christi, Texas) suffered his first loss of the season on the mound, falling to 2-1 on the year. The senior tossed six innings, giving up four runs, although just two of them were earned. He struck out five and allowed six hits.
 
The crucial bottom of the third inning began with a leadoff single, but the damage was done the next batter. Brandon Walker reached on an error by Justin Law, and the Cowboys had runners on second and third with nobody out. Aleman would induce a fly out and a strikeout to get to two outs. Unfortunately, Ball managed to rip a single down the left field line to put the Cowboys up 4-2.
 
The scoring opened up in the second inning, with Hardin-Simmons plating one with a sacrifice fly and another with an RBI single.
 
The Bulldogs answered that opening salvo with two runs of their own in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Klaus Bohrmann (San Antonio, Texas) crushed a double to left center, scoring both Alejandro Gutierrez and Tony Gennusa. The two RBI tied Bohrmann for the team lead with 11 this season.
 
Texas Lutheran was held in check the rest of the game by Hardin-Simmons' pitcher Jason England. The senior tossed a complete game, working around nine hits.
 
After the third inning, the Bulldogs would put more than one runner on base in just one more inning. That opportunity would come in the seventh, when Zach Jacobs and Gutierrez put together back-to-back two-out singles. The inning would end on a Law ground out to second base.
 
Aaron Milone (Houston, Texas) entered the game in relieve of Aleman in the seventh and tossed the final two innings without allowing a run. He gave up just one hit and struck out two.