No. 21 East Texas Baptist University produced a seven-run first inning as the Tigers won the opening game of the 2025 NCAA Division III Regional Baseball Tournament over Millsaps College, 11-4.
ETBU is now 29-14 and has won 11 NCAA Tournament games in three seasons.
Carson Livesay drove in a run and had a home run and a double, going 2-of-4. Luke Bumpus scored a run, registering two hits, adding a RBI and a stolen base to his record. Dylan Burnaman collected three hits, including a double and driving in two runs. Connor Massimini, Ben Lea and William Howard each had two hits. Joaquin, Massimini, and Lea had an RBI and Hunter Rumachik recorded two RBIs. Livesay and Lea provided home runs.
Matthew Irwin pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking none. He retired the side in the third and sixth innings. Noah Bushko pitched the final two innings in relief, giving up one earned run on one hit and striking out two.
ETBU scored seven runs on seven hits in the first inning. Livesay doubled to left center, setting the stage for Costa and Bumpus to follow with singles. Bumpus drove in the first run, and Massimini added another with a single. Rumachik’s double brought home two more for a 4-0 advantage, while Chavez and Burnaman each contributed RBI doubles, establishing a 7-0 lead.
In the second inning, Lea extended the Tigers’ lead with a solo home run, making it 8-1 after Millsaps responded with a solo homer of their own, as it was his 10th overall home run. The third inning saw Livesay add to ETBU’s advantage with a solo home run, bringing the score to 9-1.
ETBU’s defense held Millsaps scoreless in the fourth through sixth innings, maintaining the Tigers’ lead. Although Millsaps added two runs in the seventh, the Tigers kept control, still leading 9-3.
In the ninth, ETBU added two insurance runs. Lea and Howard started with singles and Burnaman’s RBI single brought one run home. Costa later walked with the bases loaded, scoring another and securing an 11-4 victory for ETBU.
ETBU was set to play Trinity University on Saturday in the winner’s bracket.
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