PUEBLO, Colo. – St. Edward's baseball continued its prolific start to the season with a 22-5 victory over Colorado State Pueblo, winning its fifth consecutive game with the first of two games against the ThunderWolves.
The Hilltoppers compiled 19 hits, including four home runs, to reach the 20-run mark for the second time in five games this season. It's the first time St. Edward's scored 22 runs since a 22-2 win over Arkansas Fort Smith in 2016.
"It's great to see our guys come out ready to play today. After a long trip, it's easy to come out flat but they responded well," St. Edward's head baseball coach Bryan Faulds says. "We swung the bat well up and down the lineup, and our bullpen came in and kept the score what it was."
Colorado State Pueblo struck first with an RBI single from Elijah Borjas, who drove a 2-2 count up the middle to score Reggia Williams, who walked and advanced to third on a throwing error while stealing second.
St. Edward's responded with a monster second inning. LANCE LITTLE led off with a single up the middle and DAVIS DREWEK followed with a double down the right-field line. JOSH GRAHAM grounded to third and reached on a fielding error, scoring Little for the RBI.
After Conner Cox walked to load the bases, HUNTER CONNER blasted a grand slam over the left-field fence for his second home run of the season. A few hitters later, after St. Edward's hit through the entire lineup, Little hit the Hilltoppers' second home run of the inning with runners on first and second for the 8-1 lead.
Starting pitcher WESLEY GAFFORD retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning, then St. Edward's opened the third with three consecutive hits, punctuated by Conner's two-RBI single.
Colorado State Pueblo added another run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout from Brady Prewitt, scoring Kolton Miller, who led the inning off with a single.
CULLEN AINSWORTH hit a one-out triple to left in the fourth, then scored on Graham's single to right-center. St. Edward's added another run on a throwing error for the 13-2 lead.
After Gafford retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the fourth, St. Edward's put together another big inning with six runs on four hits, capped off by Cox's three-RBI home run to left-center for the 19-2 lead.
Colorado State Pueblo got to Gafford in the fifth, scoring three runs with two outs and two walks before Gafford struck out Kysen Howard to end the inning.
Drewek answered back with one swing, hitting a three-run home run on the first pitch to score Ainsworth and Little for the 22-5 lead.
Four different Hilltopper relievers pitched an inning each the rest of the way, allowing just three combined hits with two strikeouts and two walks with no runs. Gafford struck out 10 in five innings of work, surrendering six hits with four of the five runs earned.
Little was nearly perfect at the plate, hitting 5-for-6 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Graham was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs, Cox continued the auspicious start to his collegiate career with this third multi-hit performance in four games, batting 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs. Conner had the grand slam and another hit for six RBIs and a run scored. Carlo Figuero was 2-for-5 with a walk and two runs, and Ainsworth and Symes each had a hit.
Colorado State Pueblo's leadoff hitter Reggie Williams was 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Miller was 2-for-3 with two runs.
St. Edward's improves to 5-0 and will play Colorado State Pueblo again tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. CST.
