Box Score Box Score

THE RUNDOWN
CLEBURNE, Texas – The St. Edward's baseball team battled with Lubbock Christian for nine innings, but prevailed 13-9 to secure its sixth consecutive Heartland Conference Tournament championship title and kept its 13-game Heartland tournament winning streak in tact. TANNER LAWSON, BLAKE ALEXANDER, WILLIAM HAIRSTON, and ZACH SCHINDLER were named to the all-tournament team, while DEREK RAMOS was selected as the tournament MVP, marking the sixth consecutive season the Hilltoppers have won that award as well.   
 
The Hilltoppers (33-19) and Chaparrals (34-20) traded runs in the third inning, but LCU unraveled in the fourth, giving up five runs on five hits including Hairston's two-run blast over the left field wall to boost SEU's lead, 6-1. Chaps' Andres Negron responded by driving in two on a single, however, the Hilltoppers got those runs back and then some, beginning with a two-RBI triple courtesy of DYLAN MACKIN in the fifth, and a two-run dinger by TJ GISELBACH in the seventh to build a 10-3 advantage.
 
The Chaparrals would make a massive rally in the bottom of the seventh stanza however, scoring three unearned runs on two Hilltopper errors, walked in another run, and Ryan Rogers RBI single plated Logan Nethercot to cut the seven-run game to two runs, 10-8. With the bases juiced and one out down, the Hilltoppers went around the horn and turned the 5-4-3 double play, abruptly ending the rally and clinging to their two-run lead.
 
In the eighth inning the Hilltoppers pushed a run across thanks to another RBI from Makin, and in the ninth, BLAKE ALEXANDER delivered the dagger with a RBI single, which also scored an unearned run to give SEU a 13-8 lead and went on to win it, 13-9. BLAKE HOLUB started on the bump but received no decision after throwing two strikeouts in 3.2 innings, while JOSIAH CHUPIK logged his first win of the season after punching out three in 2.2 innings, and JAKE DAVIS registered his seventh save on the year.

 

HIGHLIGHTS
• SEU improves Heartland Conference Tournament win streak to 13 and are 12-0 since 2015.
• The Hilltoppers are 3-0 all-time vs. Lubbock Christian in the conference tournament.
• DEREK RAMOS' tournament MVP makes him the third consecutive Hilltopper to win the award (Taylor Jonson-2013, BRANNON EASTERLING-2014, J.D. Arrowood-2015, ROMEO CORTINA-2016, TJ GISELBACH-2017).
• Ramos logged his 15^th career multiple-hit game (2-for-4, 2R, RBI).
• WILLIAM HAIRSTON's first run was the 100^th of his career with SEU and he logged his 45^th multiple-hit game and 18^th multiple RBI game of his career (2-for-4, 2R, RBI).
• BLAKE HOLUB registered his 10^th multiple-hit game this season and has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games (3-for-6, 3R).
• TJ GISELBACH recorded his 25^th career double, his 30^th career multiple-hit game and 26^th multiple game with the Hilltop (2-for-5, 3R, 2 RBI).
• DYLAN MACKIN set a new individual single game-high with four RBIs for his 3^rd multiple-RBI game this season, and registered his 10^th multiple-hit game on the year (2-for-4, 4 RBI).
• ZACH SCHINDLER finished with two extra-base hits on the day, including his first career triple. He recorded his 15^th career multiple-hit game and 10^th on the year (2-for-5, R).
• MATTHEW JIMENEZ logged 3^rd multiple-hit game this season (2-for-5, 2R, RBI).
 
STAT OF THE GAME I
7 – Seven of St. Edward's athletes finished with two or more hits.

WHAT'S NEXT
With clinching the Heartland Conference Tournament title, the Hilltoppers will receive the automatic qualifier to the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament May 17-May 21. The location and SEU's opponent has yet to be determine but will be announced tomorrow night at the NCAA Selection Show on ncaa.com. Be sure to visit GoHilltoppers.com for updates throughout the week.

Follow St. Edward's Baseball all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @SEUBaseball.

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