Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FORT SMITH, Ark. – The no. 10-ranked St. Edward's baseball team continues to roll, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader against Arkansas Fort Smith to take a 3-0 series lead with one game remaining.
GAME 1: St. Edward's 6, Arkansas Fort Smith 2
After a slow start, St. Edward's got rolling with one run scored each in the third through fifth innings, then three runs in the sixth for a 6-2 win.
St. Edward's got multi-hit games from the third through sixth spots in the lineup as part of 12 Hliltopper hits for the game.
CULLEN AINSWORTH put St. Edward's on the board in the third with an RBI double to left center, driving in CONNOR COX for the first of his two RBIs. However, Arkansas Fort Smith responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a wild pitch with runners on second and third before the Hilltoppers turned a double play to end the inning.
TREVOR SEBEK hit a two-out RBI single to center field in the fourth, and JOSH GRAHAM drove a 2-2 count back up the middle for an RBI single in the fifth. Arkansas Fort Smith answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a fielder's choice with runners in the corners.
LANCE LITTLE started the scoring run in the sixth for St. Edward's with an RBI infield single, scoring Sebek. Ainsworth followed with an RBI single to left field, and LUKE JOHNSON delivered an RBI single through the left side for the 6-2 lead.
JACK GRANACK started on the mound for the Hilltoppers and picked up his fourth win. He pitched six innings, striking out five with three walks, and one of the two runs surrendered earned. NICOLAS DAVIS started the seventh inning for St. Edward's and retired the side in order.
Sebek led St. Edward's with three hits in five at-bats, driving in one run and scoring another. Little, Ainsworth, Johnson, and Graham had two hits each.
GAME 2: St. Edward's 10, Arkansas Fort Smith 0
LUKE SHORT continues to dominate on the mound, putting together his fourth double-digit strikeout performance for his first complete-game shutout.
St. Edward's gave Short all the run support he'd need in the first inning, taking advantage of several Arkansas Fort Smith miscues to score six runs.
Cox started the offense with a one-out infield single, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Then, after Little reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners, Cox scored on an error during a failed pick-off attempt. Then, Ainsworth drew a walk, and Johnson drove both baserunners in with a two-RBI double to right-center.
Graham followed with an RBI single up the middle and back-to-back singles from MATTHEW GILES and HUNTER CONNER, with Conner driving in Graham to end starting pitcher Lowry's afternoon. Grant replaced him and walked Symes to load the bases, and Sebek laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Giles for the 6-0 lead.
Short carried over the momentum by striking out the side in order in the first, with another three-up, three-down inning in the second. Short finished with ten strikeouts in seven innings, surrendering only three hits with no walks.
Giles hit a leadoff double in the third, advanced to third on a fly out hit by Conner, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Symes, Ainsworth drove in Little in the fourth with a single to center field, and Little hit a two-run blast in the sixth for his sixth home run of the season.
St. Edward's improves to 22-6 with a 20-6 conference record after the win. The Hilltoppers and Lions will conclude the series tomorrow with a 1:00 p.m. start time.
