AUSTIN, Texas – After a close first game, the St. Edward's Baseball team jumped all over Philadelphia Sciences in game two with 17 runs off of 18 hits to complete a four-game sweep at Lucian-Hamilton Field. The Hilltoppers improve to 16-5 on the season.
Game 1: SEU, 6-4It took a couple of innings for St. Edward's to get the offense rolling, but in the third inning, the Hilltopper bats came alive.
J.D. ARROWOOD launched a two-run homer half way up the net in right field for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later,
ROMEO CORTINA followed with a two-run homer of his own, an opposite-field shot to right.
After Philadelphia Sciences (1-7) cut the lead to 4-3 on a three-run double in the top of the fifth inning, Arrowood responded with his second homer of the game.
NICK LERICK stayed hot at the plate with a single right after. He would later come around to score to make it 6-3, Hilltoppers.
STUART SPRINGER (4-0) picked up the victory on the mound for St. Edward's, allowing three runs (two earned) off of six hits, while walking two and striking out four in 4.2 innings of work.
The Devils did pick up a single run in the fifth inning, but
CAM HATCH came on in relief to pick up his second save of the season.
Game 2: SEU, 17-1 (7)In the second game, the Hilltopper offense exploded for 17 runs, matching a season-high set last weekend versus LIU Post.
The home team did its damage in three different innings. St. Edward's scored three runs in the second inning off of a two-run triple by
KEVIN MAYO and an RBI-groundout by
KELSIE DANCER. Things got out of hand in the third inning when the Hilltoppers posted nine runs on the board. The two big blows were a two-run double by
ROMEO CORTINA and a three-run homer by
DYLAN WATTS. It was Watts' second three-run bomb of the weekend.
With reserves in at every position, St. Edward's put the icing on the cake in the bottom of the sixth with five more runs.
When it was all said and done, 14 different Hilltoppers produced at least one hit and 12 different SEU batters drove in at least one run.
ERIC HESTER (2-1) picked up the victory, allowing just one run (zero earned) on two hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. He lowered his team-best qualifying ERA to 1.46.
The Hilltoppers will be back in action next weekend when they open up Heartland Conference play against Oklahoma Christian. The two teams will play a doubleheader Friday, starting at noon. The series will wrap up with a single game on Saturday, also starting at noon. Live stats will be available on the Hilltopper Athletic Website.
