Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AUSTIN, Texas - The St. Edward's baseball team swept a doubleheader from Panhandle State Friday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field. The two victories, coupled with two losses by Texas A&M-International, put the Hilltoppers two games ahead for second place in the conference with four to play.

Game 1 St. Edward's (21-22, 15-11 HC) got a great outing from starting pitcher Stephen Johnson (Sophomore, Boulder, Colo.). The righthander went the distance, allowing just five hits, while walking three and striking out eight in 7.0 innings of work.

The Hilltoppers would give him all of the run support he would need in the second inning as they pushed across five runs. Paul McCoy (Senior, Killeen, Texas) drove in the first run with a squeeze bunt. Colin Elmore (Junior, Dallas, Texas) would get the second RBI, followed by a hit-by-pitch RBI from Daniel Homann (Freshman, The Woodlands, Texas). Taylor Johnson (Sophomore, Dripping Springs, Texas) capped off the scoring, knocking in two with a single to right field.

Wes Koenig (Sophomore, Austin, Texas) picked up an RBI-double in the fourth inning and Joe Pirozzolo (Sophomore, The Woodlands, Texas) picked up the final RBI in the sixth inning.

Game 2
St. Edward's jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Adam Shank (Sugar Land, Texas) drove in a run on a groundout. Koenig picked up his second RBI of the day with a single and Will McCaleb (Junior, Houston, Texas) added an RBI-single of his own.

Panhandle State (4-42, 2-24 HC) would fight back, scoring one run in the second and two in the third inning. The two runs in the latter inning came on a two-run home run by Ed Rodriguez.

McCaleb gave the Hilltoppers the lead back with an RBI-single in the third inning but with what would become a theme, St. Edward's left three runner stranded. For the game, the Hilltoppers would strand 15 baserunners and keep the game close.

St. Edward's would increase its lead to 7-3 in the fifth inning when Shank drove in two with a bases-loaded single and the Hilltoppers would get another run off of an Aggie error.

After Panhandle State cut the lead down with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but St. Edward's took back control in the seventh inning with another three spot. Shank and Homann both had sacrifice flies and Dylan Schuch (Senior, Austin, Texas) stole home for the third run.

Schuch etched his name in the Hilltopper record books by drawing five walks in game two. That tied the record set by Kevin Karo back in the 1988 season.

The Aggies made it interesting with two runs in the eighth inning but the St. Edward's pitching staff kept them at bay with 13 strikeouts.

Hilltopper starting pitcher Landon Patterson (Senior, Leander, Texas) only lasted 2.0 innings as he left with an injury. Matt Anderson (Junior, Houston, Texas) came on in relief and notched nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Dustin Johnson (Senior, Austin, Texas) pitched the final 1.2 innings for his second save of the season.

The two teams will face off in the final game of the series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Lucian-Hamilton Field.