Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LAREDO, Texas - If you get a combined 30 runs between two games, you usually expect to win them both. However, the Hilltoppers dropped a 19-18 barnburner to Texas A&M-International, but rebounded in the second game with a 12-9 win.

Game 1: St. Edward's (13-8, 10-4) threw their ace Jeff Rohrbach (Junior, Houston, Texas) against the Dustdevils, but Rohrbach gave up four first inning runs, which included a two-out two-run homer. St. Edward's answered in the third as reigning conference player of the week Colin Elmore (Junior, Dallas, Texas) ripped a two-out double and came around to score on an error.

The Dustdevils picked up three more runs on four hits in the third as they took a 7-1 lead into the fourth. The Hilltoppers answered with three runs of their own in the fifth as Kyle Harris (Junior, Layton, Utah) hit a solo homerun and Eric Morgan (Senior, Salt Lake City, Utah) cranked a two-run homerun just two batters later, closing the gap to 7-4, Dustdevils.

After Rohrbach gave up a single and a double in the fourth inning, Max McDonald (Sophomore, Pflugerville, Texas) came in for relief. However, the Dustdevils cranked a double off of McDonald scoring both runs and extending the lead to 9-4. Two quick outs in the top of the fifth were followed up by six runs, five hits, and an error, giving the Hilltoppers a 10-9 lead.

Will McCaleb (Junior, Houston, Texas) had a bases-loaded double that brought home three runs, Rylan Patel (Freshman, Colleyville, Texas) and Dylan Schuch (Senior, Austin, Texas) both came up with pinch hits that led to another run scoring while a bases loaded hit batsman and an error rounded out the scoring. Dustin Johnson (Senior, Austin, Texas) gave up a solo homerun in the bottom half of the fifth that tied the score 10-10.

Patel and Schuch were at it again as Patel came up with a bases loaded single that scored two, and Schuch added a two-run double of his own in the sixth. Taylor Johnson (Sophomore, Dripping Springs, Texas) came up with another two-run double to cap the scoring and give St. Edward's a 16-10 lead.

St. Edward's team of Dustin Johnson and Patrick Scholl (Sophomore, Austin, Texas) failed to find the strike zone as three walks, a wild pitch and two singles led to the Hilltoppers bringing in Halden Maynard (Freshman, Brenham, Texas) from the bullpen. After two fielders choices led to two more runs, Maynard shut the door on the Dustdevils to maintain a 16-15 lead.

The Hilltoppers pulled out two more runs in the top half of the seventh as Patel had another RBI single and Paul McCoy (Senior, Killeen, Texas) recorded an RBI-double. Maynard was sent back for the seventh inning to finish the Dustdevils, but ran into some trouble.

With two outs and trailing 18-16, the Dustdevils came up with some clutch hitting that featured an RBI single, and a walk-off two run double that gave the Texas A&M-International a 19-18 victory. Patel and Schuch both went 3-for-3 as the duo combined for six RBI and five runs scored. McCaleb added a 2-for-4 outing with three runs scored, three RBI, and a double. Both teams combined for 36 hits and drew nine walks.

Game 2: The Hilltoppers managed to get two unearned runs to start the second game. St. Edward's used their big right-hander Stephen Johnson (Sophomore, Boulder, Colorado) in the second game who gave up three walks in the first inning that led to a run.

St. Edward's would extend the lead to 4-1 in the second on back-to-back singles, a Schuch squeeze bunt, and a McCoy squeeze bunt paved the way. The Dustdevils scored two more runs in the third to narrow the gap at 4-3. The Hilltoppers showed some patience at the plate in the fourth as they drew three walks and received a McCoy RBI sacrifice fly to give themselves a 5-3 cushion.

The Hilltoppers blew the game open in the fifth scoring five runs on five hits which included a McCaleb two-run homerun that gave them a 10-3 lead. TAMU-International attempted a comeback as they scored two runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to cut the lead to 10-7. However, the Hilltoppers would get two more runs in the eighth inning which featured a solo-homerun from Adam Shank (Senior, Sugarland, Texas) and a couple of key errors that helped Patel hit a sacrifice fly.

St. Edward's would call on Tyler Harris (Junior, Houston, Texas) in the eighth but again the Dustdevils would scratch two more runs making the score 12-9. St. Edward's brought on Brian Shorkey (Junior, Pearland, Texas) to close out the ninth and give St. Edward's a huge conference win.

Key performers at the plate were McCaleb and Harris. McCaleb turned in a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI and three runs scored, while Harris went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Johnson (3-1) picked up the victory going 7.0 innings while giving up 10 hits and seven runs which featured seven walks. Brian Shorkey picked up his first save as he pitched a perfect ninth.

The series finale will take place tomorrow at Jorge Haynes Field with the first pitch set for noon.