HOUSTON – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas won a varsity baseball game for the first time in more than a half-century as they split a Saturday doubleheader with visiting Howard Payne.

UST won Saturday's opening game 11-7, while the visiting Yellow Jackets won the second contest 7-3.

The Celts took advantage of five HPU errors and got some timely hits to claim the win in game one. UST plated three runs in the bottom of the first; Hunter Pachal's two-run home run highlighted a third inning that saw the Celts stretch their lead to 7-1.

Kalob Bacak picked up the first win in the modern era of UST baseball, tossing five innings while allowing only four runs. Bacak had allowed only one run through his first four innings of work.

Jason Brown went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the opening contest. He knocked an RBI single in the fourth inning to score Kyle Bearden and extend UST's lead to 8-1.

In game two, Brown and catcher Jackson Rodgers each collected two hits for the Celts (1-6). Noah Martinez, Leo Galvan, and Caleb Edmonds each picked up RBIs in the game.

Eric Rodriguez tossed three and two-thirds innings of effective relief in the second game. Brown tossed a scoreless seventh inning, striking out all three HPU batters he faced.

The 2020 season is the first varsity baseball season at UST since 1969.

The Celts will play their first road games of the season next weekend when they travel to Abilene for a three-game series at McMurry. The teams start the series with a Friday doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.