FORT SMITH, Texas – St. Edward's baseball scored ten runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Arkansas Fort Smith Lions 14-4 in seven innings, sweeping the regular-season series 4-0.
LUKE JOHNSON posted a four-RBI day, and LANCE LITTLE added another home run to his season total to lead a Hilltopper offense that capitalized on every Arkansas Fort Smith mistake to score almost twice as many runs (14) as St. Edward's had hits (eight).
Arkansas Fort Smith took an early lead with an RBI from Kade Brewer on a double to left-center after Jordon Helm drew a one-out walk. However, the Hilltoppers answered the next inning with consecutive singles from Little, CULLEN AINSWORTH, and Johnson in the fourth, with Johnson driving in Little on a shot to center field.
Lions' starting pitcher Jakob Petross (L, 1-4) hit WESTON SYMES on the first pitch of the fifth inning, and Symes later scored on an error that put CONNOR COX on base. Little drove him in with a two-run blast to left-center for his seventh home run of the season.
Arkansas Fort Smith responded in the bottom of the inning, sparked by a leadoff single from Brandon Ulmer. Helm moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Brewer drew a walk, and both advanced on a wild pitch to set up a Blayse Quarnstrom RBI on a groundout to shortstop.
The Lions' pitching staff lost control in the seventh, loading the bases on an error, a walk, and a hit batter, then walking three other Hilltoppers and hitting another to score four runs before St. Edward's recorded its first hit of the inning. HUNTER CONNER drove in JOSH GRAHAM on a fielder's choice, Symes walked, and TREVOR SEBEK scored Conner on a groundout to second.
Cox delivered an infield single to score Symes, then Little doubled down the left-field line, and Ainsworth drew a walk to reload the bases for Johnson, who drove in two runs on a single to right field for the 14-2 lead.
A leadoff walk followed by an Ulmer double put runners on second and third for the Lions to open the seventh. Helm grounded out to shortstop, scoring Will Trollinger, then Brewer singled to left to put runners on the corners for Quarnstrom to drive in Ulmer on the sacrifice fly. After a fielding error, KEVIN SKWERES replaced JARED SCHAEFFER to strike out Matt Schilling to end the game.
LUKE NEGRETE started on the mound for St. Edward's and struck out five with two walks and one run surrendered on one hit in three innings. Schaeffer (W, 2-1) struck out four in 3.2 innings, surrendering four hits and three runs.
St. Edward's improves to 23-6 with a 21-6 conference record after the sweep. St. Edward's will host Oklahoma Christian this weekend with a four-game series starting Friday.
