FORT SMITH, Ark. – NICK LERICK's lone trip to the plate in game two of Friday's doubleheader against Arkansas Fort Smith was a big one, and he made it count with a game-winning, three-run home run to give St. Edward's Baseball an 11-9 win, and a sweep of the Lions. The Hilltoppers dominated game one, 22-2.
 
Lerick was not the only hero of the day. ANDREW BOES struck out the side in the ninth to clinch his first win as a Hilltopper. As a team, the visitors produced 33 runs on 32 hits between the two games.
 
A multitude of St Edward's hitters turned in impressive performances on the day. DYLAN WATTS and J.D. ARROWOOD homered for the Hilltoppers. Watts finished the day batting .667 with five runs and five RBI. ROMEO CORTINA was right behind with a .571 average while scoring six runs, and driving in two. A total of nine Hilltoppers collected multiple hits, and 16 appeared in at least one of the games.
 
On the mound, ERIC HESTER joined Boes as winning pitcher with the victory in game one. Hester is now 5-2. JOSH GUERRA, STUART PATKE, and HUNTER COURSON all joined Hester and Boes with no earned runs allowed.
 
St. Edward's is now 27-9 overall, and tied for first in the Heartland Conference with Lubbock Christian at 10-4. Fort Smith falls to 18-14 and 7-7.
 
"Over the last three games, our hitters have performed at a very high level," said head coach Rob Penders. "The offense has stopped worrying about the results of their at-bats, and we are being rewarded for that. Once you commit as a group, the good results seem to magically appear, and that is what has happened. Nick (Lerick) has a knack for getting the big hit in pressure situations. He prepares himself well to pinch hit, and the results have been good because of that. It was a huge swing of the bat, obviously, and it got us the win today."
 
Game One: No. 9 St. Edward's 22, Arkansas Fort Smith 2
 
St. Edward's wasted no time getting on the board, while showing discipline at the plate. Harris worked a leadoff walk followed by a single from Olson. Then, Arrowood, Cortina, and Watts all patiently earned free bases as well to give the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead, and forcing the Lions to their bullpen early.
 
GABLE WHITACRE leveraged a walk from the new pitcher as well to make it 3-0, and Mayo sent a sacrifice fly to left field. After just half an inning of play, the visitors held a 4-0 advantage.
 
The Hilltoppers did not slow down in the second inning using eight-straight hits, including two triples, with two outs to make it 11-0. After batting around, Fort Smith was finally able to stop the bleeding.
 
Another run in the third increased the cushion to 12-0. This allowed St. Edward's to bring VITO LORENZINI in from the bullpen, and save Hester for another appearance.
 
Fort Smith grabbed a pair of runs in the third on a walk, and sacrifice fly, but could not stop the visitors on defense. A trio of errors in the fifth brought in five more runs for the Hilltoppers.
 
The offense kept rolling in the sixth and seventh, combining for five more runs on five hits and no errors. The Lions had no answer, and fell to the Hilltoppers by 20 runs for the second time in as many years.
 
Game Two: No. 9 St. Edward's 11, Arkansas Fort Smith 9
 
The second half of Friday's double dip started off with more offense from the Hilltoppers. In the top of the second, Watts led off with a walk, and then worked over to third on a deep fly ball, and a passed ball. Courson brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
However, in contrast to the first game, Fort Smith stopped the scoring there. In fact, the Lions held the Hilltoppers scoreless for the next three innings.
 
In the sixth frame, St. Edward's bats struck again. A Cortina walk, followed by a stolen base, set the table for Watts who singled up the middle to make it 2-0. A wild pitch scored Watts, and Courson collected another RBI with a single to right field, plating Whitacre.
 
The 4-0 advantage was much needed. In the bottom of the sixth, Fort Smith's heavy-hitting Blaise Warrick crushed a three-run home run to right-center field. The homer pulled the Lions within two, but the visitors weren't done yet.
 
Olson singled to lead off the very next inning, and then, J.D. ARROWOOD did what he does best. He hit the ball over the right-field fence to make it 6-3, Hilltoppers. Watts followed suit with a solo home run of his own, pushing St. Edward's lead to four, and sending Fort Smith to the bullpen.
 
More power followed in the bottom half of the seventh. The Lions sent a home run to left field to make it 7-4, and finished the inning with six runs on six hits, and an error to jump ahead, 9-7.
 
After a 1-2-3 eighth, it would all come down to the top of the ninth inning. Olson led off with a triple to center, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Arrowood. A single by Cortina, and a walk to Watts sent the Lions back to the bullpen. However, it would make no difference.
 
Coach Penders brought in Lerick to pinch hit, and the senior designated hitter did not disappoint. With two outs, and the game on the line, Lerick took it out over the left-field fence, putting St. Edward's back in the lead, 11-9.
 
Boes pitched the ninth inning like a man with ice in his veins. He got the big-hitting Warrick to whiff, and struck out the side to clinch the win.
 
Coach Penders and his team will continue their quest for a three-game sweep on Saturday with a nine-inning affair starting at 1 p.m. Live stats and video will be available through links at GoHilltoppers.com.