Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward's baseball team opened up the 2012 season with a doubleheader split against Arkansas-Fort Smith, Monday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field. After rescheduling the game three times due to bad weather, the Lions won game one, 6-0, before the Hilltoppers won game two, 7-2.

Game 1
UA Fort Smith (1-1, 1-1 HC) struck first on Sunday afternoon, scoring two runs before the game was called and rescheduled to Monday. The Lions kept their momentum from Sunday's start by putting up two more runs in the third inning. UA Fort Smith starting pitcher Sam Meloy (1-0) kept the Hilltoppers off-balance all afternoon, allowing just three hits, while striking out five batters in 7.0 innings of work.

The only real threat for St. Edward's came in the eighth inning when Ransom LaLonde (Tulsa Okla./UT-San Antonio) drew a one-out walk and Max Minor (Austin, Texas/Blinn JC) laced a pinch-hit single down the left field line. However, the Hilltoppers would falter in their next two at-bats to remain scoreless.

Game 2
St. Edward's (1-1, 1-1 HC) struck first and pounded out three hits to give the Hilltoppers and early lead, 3-0. Minor would lead off the game with a walk. He would then steal second. That set the stage for the Hilltoppers. Daniel Homann (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) would drive in a run with a ground out, while LaLonde and Kyle Harris (Layton, Utah/Clarendon JC) drove in runs with singles.

The Hilltoppers would score again in the bottom of the third with bases loaded as Lions pitcher Neil Smith walked AJ Hermanson (Georgetown, Texas/Georgetown HS) to send LaLonde home. Making the score 4-0. In the bottom of the fifth, Harris would send a single down the left field line, and would then advance to second on a wild pitch by Adam Cvengros. Harris would then score off of a single sent through the left side by Marshall Burford (Austin, Texas/Temple JC). That gave the Hilltoppers a 5-0 lead.

The Lions would score two runs in the sixth off of a sacrifice bunt and a double to left center field. However, the Hilltoppers would stop the Lions there and would answer back when Adam Shank (Sugar Land, Texas/San Jacinto JC) launched a two-run home run off of the net behind the left field fence. Stephen Johnson (Boulder, Colo./Boulder HS) came in for the seventh and struck out the side. Over 20 scouts were out to see the right-handed fire baller, and he did not disappoint, averaging 95-98 mph on the radar guns and topping out at an amazing 101 mph.

Tyler Harris (Houston, Texas/Cisco JC) picked up the win on the mound for St. Edward's, allowing two runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out three in 6.0 innings of work.

St. Edward's will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to take on TAMU-Kingsville for a single-game beginning at 6 p.m. in Kingsville, Texas.