Game 1 Box ScoreGame 2 Box ScoreAUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward's Baseball team took the four-game series against Lindenwood, 3-1, with a doubleheader split against the Lions on Sunday afternoon. The Hilltoppers fell in game one, 10-9, but rallied to win the final game of the series, 11-9.
Game 1St. Edward's (4-3) came out swinging, scoring two runs on two, two-out singles in the bottom of the second to get on the scoreboard first.
Lindenwood answered quickly, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the second. Later, a bullet from leftfielder,
MILES WRIGHT, caught a Lindenwood base runner at the plate to keep the score 2-1 in favor of St. Edward's.
In the second inning, the Hilltoppers scored again as
NATE TURNER hit a sacrifice fly foul into deep left field, scoring Wes Harris to make the score 3-1.
More offensive power was displayed in the third inning when
KEVIN MAYO hit his first homerun of the year, blowing the game open 6-1.
In the top of the third inning, Lindenwood loaded the bases with nobody out. Mike Wilson doubled in two runs to cut the lead to 6-3.
Later in the same inning, a single to shortstop scored another Lion baserunner. Next, a sac bunt scored the man from third to tie the game, 6-6.
The next two batters from Lindenwood (2-4) recorded RBI on sac flies to the outfield, as the lead quickly turned in favor of the Lions, 8-6 after a seven-run fourth.
In the fifth inning, the Lions would score again after a walk, and a stand up triple from Wes Degener made the score, 9-6.
St. Edward's would get that run back in the bottom of the fifth, with a bases loaded, one out, sac fly from Harris to cut the deficit to two. In the bottom of the sixth inning the Hilltoppers would bring the score even, 9-9.
Unfortunately, in the top of the seventh, Lindenwood would take the lead right back, scoring what would prove to be the game-winning RBI off the bat of Nathan Prindle.
Connor Law would get the win for the Lions, as Lindenwood would shut out the Hilltoppers in the seventh, winning, 10-9.
GAME 2 The story of game two, Sunday afternoon at Luciana-Hamilton Field, was Hilltopper starting pitcher,
ERIC HESTER, and Hilltopper slugger, J.D. Arrowood. The duo would steal the show as the Hilltoppers went on to win, 11-8.
After a one, two, three inning from Hester that contained two strikeouts, the Hilltopper bats continued to display early-season firepower. Three runs were scored off a double from
GABLE WHITACRE, a triple from Arrowood, and a single from Joe Olson.
Dominance from Hester would continue in the second, as he struck out two more Lion batters, fanning four of his first six batters.
In the third inning, St. Edward's (4-3) would get two more runs, one off the bat of A.J. Hermanson and another, compliments off a solo home run from Arrowood.
Hester would continue to throw a gem until the sixth inning where he found his first bit of trouble. The transfer, making his first start on the Hilltop, surrendered two runs in the inning; however, held a 5-2 lead.
Hester's teammates would provide him with some more insurance in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four more runs to extend its lead, 9-2. Also in the inning, Arrowood would reach base on a double to center, as thoughts of a cycle breezed through the 74 degree Austin afternoon.
Hester would throw seven dominant innings, allowing two runs on five hits, recording seven strikeouts and only one walk.
St. Edward's would tack on another run early in the seventh to give them an eight-run advantage. Later in the inning, Arrowood would approach the plate again as the crowed buzzed with hopes to see baseball's rarest feat. Unfortunately, Arrowood would pop out to the shortstop, falling a single shy of the notorious cycle.
The Lions would respond for six runs in the eighth inning. What was once an insurmountable lead for St. Edward's turned into a mere 10-8 advantage after seven and a half innings of play.
Hermanson would give the Hilltoppers another run of insurance, after he doubled down the line, making the score 11-8.
BRYCE DAVIS, who replaced
STUART PATKE in the eighth inning, would close out the ninth as well; earning his first save of the year, and helping the Hilltoppers earn a split on the afternoon.
"Our offense was outstanding this weekend," head coach Rob Penders said. "We worked on it all week and it paid dividends. This week we will work on our defensive ineffeciencies and hopefully we'll see the same type of improvement."
The Hilltoppers will be back in action Friday, at Lucian-Hamilton Field when they host Missouri S&T for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. and live coverage can be found on the St. Edward's Athletic Website.
