AUSTIN, Texas – ROMEO CORTINA hit his fifth home run of the season Saturday as St. Edward's dropped its series finale with UA Fort Smith, 7-2.
 
Cortina finished his day 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, a RBI, and a stolen base. HUNTER COURSON went 2-for-3 while GABLE WHITACRE scored one run, driven in by DANIEL SABATINO.
 
St. Edward's (17-9, 5-1 Heartland) is a game out of first place in the conference standings. UA Fort Smith (12-12, 4-2) snaps a 15-game losing streak against the Hilltoppers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Lions scored early and often with two runs in the first inning and two more in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
• UA Fort Smith was aided by seven walks and a hit batter in the first three innings.
• Cortina put St. Edward's on the board in the sixth inning with a leadoff home run.
• Sabatino followed up with a RBI grounder to make it 7-2.
• The Lions allowed just one Hilltopper baserunner in the final three innings.

 
HILLTOPPER NOTES

• St. Edward's is 24-8 in the all-time series against UA Fort Smith.
• WILLIAM HAIRSTON leads the conference in hits and at-bats.
• BLAKE ALEXANDER failed to reach base after reaching safely in 18 straight games.
• Cortina is tied for third in the conference with five home runs this season.

 
QUOTE BOARD: HEAD COACH ROB PENDERS
"It was a disappointing day. We didn't perform our best, and it felt like a step backwards from how we have been playing. We weren't controlling the strike zone and offensively we weren't making adjustments. It's just about performing on a daily basis. We are not consistent with that yet."
 
UP NEXT
St. Edward's hosts UH-Victoria Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at GoHilltoppers.com.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: UA Fort Smith 7, St. Edward's 2
Records: St. Edward's (17-9, 5-1 Heartland), UA Fort Smith (12-12, 4-2 Heartland)
W – Nelson (3-3) L – Infante (2-2)
Attendance: 207
 
For the latest information on the St. Edward's University Baseball team, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @SEUBaseball, or visit us at www.GoHilltoppers.com.