KINGSVILLE, Texas – St. Edward's baseball scored three runs in the eighth inning and stranded the tying run in the bottom of the ninth to hold on for the 9-8 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville, winning all four games in a battle between two regionally-ranked teams.
"I'm very proud of the guys today and this weekend. We knew Kingsville was going to come out and play well today," St. Edward's head baseball coach Bryan Faulds says. "Winning a series on the road is tough in this conference. It's a great start, but we have a long season ahead."
Texas A&M-Kingsville opened the game with a leadoff home run from Shelby Becker for the quick 1-0 lead.
WESTON SYMES put St. Edward's on the scoreboard in the second inning, bunting for a single that scored JOSH GRAHAM and Conner Cox on a throwing error.
DAVIS DREWEK added two more Hilltopper runs in the third inning, hitting a two-run blast over the right-field fence, driving in LANCE LITTLE, who reached on a two-out double to right.
Kingsville tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Becker opened the inning with an infield single, and Nick Wolff walked to put two on. Next, Ramsey Amador laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on a throwing error, scoring Becker. Then, Wolff scored on a wild pitch, and Jake Chapman hit an RBI double to left-center.
The Javelinas took the lead on a Steven Bonuz RBI single to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring Wolff, who led off with a double to left field. However, St. Edward's responded with a two-RBI single from HUNTER CONNER in the sixth inning.
Jared Shaeffer (W, 1-0) replaced starter LUKE NEGRETE on the mound to open the bottom of the sixth inning and retired the side in order with a strikeout.
Becker tied the game in the seventh, leading off with a double down the left-field line for his third hit of the game. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a balk. Becker finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.
St. Edward's loaded the bases in the eighth. Symes led off with a single through the left side, CARLO FIGUEROA walked, and after KYLER KERLIN fouled out on a bunt attempt, and CULLEN AINSWORTH hit an RBI single to right for the first score.
Kingsville pitcher Carter Poulson (L, 0-1) walked Little to load the bases and hit Drewek for the first score of the inning, ending his afternoon in favor of Marco Martinez. TY MURRAY drove in a run off a fielder's choice for the 9-6 lead.
Matthew Castro hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to score Chapman, pulling Kingsville to within 9-7.
St. Edward's put two on to start the ninth but left both stranded. KEVIN SKWERES started on the mound for St. Edward's in the ninth to pick up the save. Skweres got Becker to groundout to shortstop, surrendered a single to Wolff, then induced a fly ball to center for the second out. Dalton Kramer pinch-ran for Wolff and scored on Bonuz's RBI single through the left side.
Chapman ended the game by grounding into a fielder's choice at second.
"Jared Schaffer was outstanding out of the bullpen and kept their offense in check to give ours an opportunity to give us the lead," Faulds says. "WESTON SYMES had a clutch bunt to get things going, and we had some clutch two-strike and two-out hits."
Symes, Drewek, and Conner each hit 2-for-4. Drewek added three RBIs, Conner contributed two RBIs, and Symes scored a run.
St. Edward's opens the season 4-0 and will travel next weekend to play Colorado State Pueblo on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11.
