Box Score The Basics
-Score: #27 St. Edward's 4, Panhandle State 3; #27 St. Edward's 6, Panhandle State 1     
-Records: St. Edward's 32-14, 21-11 HC: Panhandle State 2-42, 1-31 HC
-Location: Austin, Texas (Lucian-Hamilton Field)
 
Game 1
How It Happened
-St. Edward's opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when RANSOM LALONDE homered on a 2-0 pitch with two outs down the left field line for a 1-0 lead.
-Panhandle State responded in the third inning with three runs. With two outs, the Aggies would draw a walk and three-straight hits that would plate three runs.
-Besides the first-inning homer by LaLonde, St. Edward's would have a tough time with Aggie starting pitcher Corey Mingin through the first four innings. Finally, in the fifth inning, the Hilltoppers scored three runs of their own. DYLAN WATTS led off with a double to the gap in left field. He would score on a one-out double by RYAN DOLEZAL. After a single by TAYLOR JOHNSON moved Dolezal to third base, Dolezal would score on a sacrifice bunt by CUTTER RUNTE. Johnson also scored on a groundout by LaLonde for a 4-3 Hilltopper lead.
-Hilltopper starting pitcher BRANNON EASTERLING, settled down after the Aggies scored three runs in the third inning, allowing just three baserunners over the last four innings to pick up his team-leading ninth victory.
 
Game 2
How It Happened
-The Hilltoppers struck first in game two, when LaLonde singled home Johnson, who had walked to lead off the inning and stole second.
-St. Edward's extended its lead in the fifth inning, when Dolezal and Hermanson executed a double steal and Hermanson would score on a throwing error by the Aggie catcher.
-In the sixth inning, the Hilltoppers put the game out of reach with four runs. Watts drove in two runs with a double and MARSHALL BURFORD drove in another with a single. Hermanson would score again by stealing third and coming home on an errant throw by the Aggie catcher.
-Hilltopper starting pitcher PAUL SMITH was outstanding, allowing just one run on four hits in 7.0 innings of work. He struck out six Aggie batters in the process to improve to 3-1.
 
Beyond the Box Score
-With his four doubles on the day, Watts moves into the team lead with 13. He now owns a six-game hitting streak.
-LaLonde had three RBI during the doubleheader and has increased his total to 36, which is good for a tie for the team-lead with CJ MANNING. LaLonde has at least one RBI in seven of his last eight games.
 
2013 Heartland Conference Baseball Standings
Team                           Conference             Overall
#13 St. Mary's                   27-7                    32-12
#27 St. Edward's             21-11                   32-14
UA Fort Smith                   21-11                   25-17
TAMU-International        18-14                   25-21
Newman                           16-16                   21-20
UT-Permian Basin             9-23                    14-29
Panhandle State                1-31                      2-42
Oklahoma Christian           0-0                      22-18
McMurry                             0-0                      20-25
 
Up Next
The two teams will be back in action for the final game of the series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Lucian-Hamilton Field. St. Edward's will have live video and stats on the Hilltopper Athletic Website.