Box Score SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The St. Edward's baseball team made it look easy taking a 12-4 win over Incarnate Word this afternoon. St. Edward's (22-9) took to the board early scoring three runs in the first inning. Taylor Johnson (Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs HS) reached first after being hit by the pitch. Kyle Harris (Layton, Utah/Clarendon JC) followed with a single to left field.
Adam Shank (Sugar Land, Texas/San Jacinto JC) loaded the bases as he was hit by the pitch. T. Johnson would come home as Wes Koenig (Austin, TX/Hill JC) was also hit by the pitch. Marshall Burford (Austin, Texas/Temple JC) was walked brining in K. Harris followed by Ransom LaLonde (Tulsa, Okla./UT-San Antonio) who brought in by Shank after being walked. Getting off to a rough start the Cardinals decided to change pitchers bringing Zach Anderson to the mound.
Down by three Incarnate Word (13-15) followed with a single run in the first when Slade Brown brought in Derrick Walls as he hit a double to center field. The Cardinals would then score two more runs in the second inning as Jason Stone stole home and Walls brought in the second run hitting a single up the middle, making the score 3-3.
The Cardinals would take the lead in the third as John Zule scored on a balk. The Hilltoppers would not give up and would take the lead back in the fourth scoring two runs. K. Harris singled to right center followed by Shank who singled to right field. With K. Harris on third and Shank on second, Burford doubled to left center bringing both teammates home giving the lead back to the Hilltoppers, 5-4. In the fifth,
St. Edward's would collect another run as Colin Elmore (Dallas, Texas/Richland CC) tripled deep into right center field and was then brought home by Nate Bobrowski (Jerome, Idaho/San Mateo JC) as he grounded out to second. St. Edward's kept up the momentum taking the lead to 9-4 as they collected three runs in the sixth.
Koenig reached on an error by the Cardinals second baseman. Burford then singled dropping the ball just short of the Cardinal center fielder. Will McCaleb (Houston, Texas/Blinn JC) then pinch hit for LaLonde and knocked one out of the park over the left field fence collecting three RBI. The Hilltoppers would again prevent any runs for the Cardinals and would follow in the seventh with another three runs. T. Johnson doubled and K. Harris singled to left field. Koenig would bring both men home, collecting the second home run of the game, making the score 12-4.
The game would end 12-4 in favor of the Hilltoppers. Leaders for Incarnate Word were Brown and Walls who each collected one hit and one RBI. Stone had one run and one hit.
Leaders for St. Edward's included Koenig who collected two hits and four RBI followed by Burford and McCaleb each with two hits and three RBI. Koenig and McCaleb collected the only homeruns of the game. Brad Nasis (Bulverde, Texas/Smithson Valley HS) would collect the win for the Hilltoppers pitching four innings allowing only two hits, no runs and no errors while striking out four Cardinals.
Casey Russell (Colleyville, Texas/Oklahoma) and AJ Rataic (Manchester, Conn./Manchester CC) would also get some time on the mound. Russell would pitch an inning allowing one hit, no runs and no errors. Ratiaic would throw a spotless ninth inning.
St. Edward's will be back in action Tuesday as they take on Texas Wesleyan at 3:00 p.m. First pitch is set for LaGrave Field in Fort Worth, Texas.
