KINGSVILLE, Texas – Senior pitcher WESLEY GAFFORD put together another dominant performance, and freshman designated hitter CONNOR COX had an auspicious collegiate debut in St. Edward's baseball's 6-0 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Gafford looked every bit the player who was named preseason All-American and projected to repeat as Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Year. The 6-foot-7 senior struck out the side in the bottom of the first on his way to nine strikeouts with only three hits allowed in six scoreless innings.
"WESLEY GAFFORD set the tone for the team today," St. Edward's head baseball coach Bryan Faulds says. "He went out there, competed in the strike zone, and the rest of the guys followed."
CULLEN AINSWORTH put the Hilltoppers on the scoreboard with a two-run blast with one out in the top of the third, driving Kobe Jaramillo's first pitch deep into left field for the 2-0 lead, driving in KYLER KERLIN, who reached on a walk.
After a LANCE LITTLE line out to the right, Jaramillo hit DAVIS DREWEK with a pitch and walked CASEY FOWLER, setting the stage for Cox's two-RBI double for the 4-0 lead and his first collegiate hit. Cox drove a 1-1 count into the gap in deep right field, sending the ball to the warning track to score Drewek and Fowler before being thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple.
Gafford retired the next six Kingsville hitters in order, striking out four of six with two pop-ups to the middle of the infield.
St. Edward's put two on with no outs on an error and a walk in the top of the fifth, ending Jaramillo's afternoon. Luis Martinez replaced him, striking out two and hitting Fowler with a pitch before inducing a fly out to left field to escape unscathed, leaving three Hilltoppers stranded.
Texas A&M-Kingsville had its best opportunity to plate a run in the bottom of the fifth when Matthew Castro reached on a two-out fielding error, but Steven Bonuz was thrown out at home by Little at first base.
The Javelinas put two on with two outs in the sixth, but Gafford struck out Bonuz to end the inning and his afternoon keeping Kingsville scoreless.
Cox pulled the ball to deep right center again in the top of the seventh, completing the triple this time to score Drewek. Karson Shepard replaced Martin on the mound and quickly surrendered an RBI single to Conner before getting out of the inning.
SETH TAYLOR replaced Gafford to start the sixth in a three-up, three-down inning. Taylor surrendered a Ramsey Amador single through the left side but induced a Jake Chapman groundout into a double play.
BLAKE DONNAN took the mound for St. Edward's to start the bottom of the eighth and walked Castro, but Thompson lined out to the left. Cervantes grounded into a fielder's choice to put Castro out at second and then was thrown out by Ainsworth trying to steal second. JACK ENGELMANN replaced Donnan to start the ninth and retired the side in order.
St. Edward's scored six earned runs on six hits. Ainsworth was 1-for-3 with two walks and the two-run home run. Cox was 2-for-5 with a double and triple, three RBIs, and a run scored. HUNTER CONNER was 2-for-5 with an RBI, and TY MURRAY had one hit in four at-bats. The Hilltopper pitching staff faced 29 batters, surrendering four hits and two walks while striking out 11.
"Every single guy on the team had a piece of this victory," Faulds exclaims. "Guys were locked in from pitch one."
After the season-opening win, the Hilltoppers will remain in Kingsville and face the Javelinas in a double header tomorrow starting at 2:00 p.m.
