Box Score FORT SMITH, Ark. – The St. Edward's baseball team came up short this afternoon as they lost the final game of the series to UA-Fort Smith, 9-8 at Crowder Field. UA-Fort Smith (14-12, 10-10 HC) would get on the board first in the second inning collecting three runs. Ben Smith got on base off of a double followed by Steven Ross who hit a single to left field. Smith would then score on an error by the Hilltoppers and Ross advanced to second. Ross would then advance to third and would score on an error by the third baseman. With bases loaded Jordan May hit a single bringing home a fellow Lion. St. Edward's (18-7, 14-6 HC) followed, scoring a run of its own in the third inning as Adam Shank (Sugar Land, Texas/San Jacinto JC) hit a single bringing Beau Rogers (Carbonado, Wash./Tacoma CC) home, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Lions. In the third inning, UA-Fort Smith would collect three more runs but the Hilltopppers prevented the Lions from scoring four runs as they got Smith out at home. With the score now 6-1, in favor of the Lions, St. Edward's would pick up its pace scoring two runs in the fourth inning. Both runs were scored off of a single by Rogers giving Colin Elmore (Dallas, Texas/Richland JC) and Marshall Burford (Austin, Texas/Temple JC ) time to score. St. Edward's would collect four more runs in the sixth inning taking the lead, 7-6. With Ransom LaLonde (Tulsa, Okla./UT-San Antonio) and Elmore on base Rogers collected an RBI as LaLonde came home. Taylor Johnson (Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs HS) followed with a triple and collected two RBI as Rogers and Elmore scored. Kyle Harris (Layton, Utah/Clarendon JC) then brought in T. Johnson off of a single. With bases loaded, the Lions would tie up the game in the sixth inning, as Austin Rawls was hit by the pitch sending May home. In the seventh, Wes Koenig (Austin, TX/Hill JC) would double to left center and would score when LaLonde singled to center field making the score 8-7 in favor of the Hilltoppers. This would be the last run scored for the Hilltoppers as the Lions came from behind scoring two runs, one in the eighth and one in the ninth. The game would end 9-8 in favor of the Lions. Leader for UA-Fort Smith was Ryan Pongonis who collected two hits and two RBI. Leader for St. Edward's was Rogers who had two hits and three RBI with two runs scored. St. Edward's will be back in action Wednesday as they take on UH-Victoria at 1:30 p.m. here a Lucian-Hamilton Field. As a member of NCAA Division II and the Heartland Conference, St. Edward's, has captured 47 conference titles, advanced to the NCAA tournament 50 times and has produced 31 All-Americans and 32 Academic All-Americans since 1999. Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University is named among the top five "Up-and-Coming Universities" in the Western Region by its academic peers in a 2011 U.S. News & World Report survey. For eight consecutive years St. Edward's has been recognized as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. St. Edward's has also been named one of “America's Best Colleges” by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability. St. Edward's is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of more than 5,400 students located in Austin, Texas. For more information on St. Edward's University, visit http://www.stedwards.edu/athletics.