AUSTIN, Texas- CAMERON STANTON notched a career-high 10 strikeouts on way to his first career complete game, in a 6-2 victory over UA Fort Smith. The win gives the Hilltoppers a series sweep over the Lions and keeps St. Edward's in a tie for first in the Heartland Conference standings.
 
It was a pitching duel early on, as Stanton and Hasten Freeman moved efficiently through the first two innings of play.
 
It was Freeman who would lose the battle. In the bottom of the third, UA Fort Smith (18-11, 8-5 HC) would give up a bases-clearing double to A.J. HERMANSON to get St. Edward's (27-8, 13-2 HC) on the board first. Hermanson would later be knocked in on a GABLE WHITACRE single to make the score 4-0.
 
Wes Harris got the bottom of the fourth started off with a single, which was followed by two walks to load the bases, giving a chance for the Hilltoppers to break the game open. However, Hayden Harvey and the Lions bullpen managed to exit the inning unscathed.
 
Cather, Joe Olson would lead off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo shot to left field for his second homerun of the season. Later in the inning, Wes Harris hit a sacrifice fly to score J.D. ARROWOOD, who had hustled himself into a hard-earned double and advanced to third on a fielder's choice.
 
Stanton threw nine masterful innings. His only blemish came in the top of the ninth inning, when he allowed a two-run home run to Ryan Justus.
 
The final score would stand, 6-2 in favor of the Hilltoppers who would sweep the series, three games to none.
 
Stanton allowed two runs on eight hits, while walking nobody in nine innings of work.
 
"Cameron was outstanding today, throwing only 19 balls compared to 85 strikes," head coach Rob Penders said. "When you get a performance like that, it makes it a lot easier on the offense. We were opportunistic again today. It was fun to see and good to get a sweep at home."
 
JONATHAN DAVIS would go 2-for-3 on the afternoon, pacing the Hilltopper offense that recorded eight hits on the afternoon.
 
The Hilltoppers will travel to San Antonio to take on rival St. Mary's in the Battle of the Saints on Friday in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Both the Hilltoppers and Rattlers are tied atop the Heartland Conference standing at 13-2. Live coverage can be found via the Rattler Athletics Website.
 
"Every series is big because it is conference play, but St. Mary's looks like the team we will be contending with for first place, so we now have some momentum to go down to San Antonio and compete," Penders said. "We played well this weekend, and hopefully we can keep it going into that series."