AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's baseball wrapped up its series against Cameron with a big win, run-ruling the Aggies in seven innings with a 21-11 victory to take the series 3-1.
Designated hitter LUKE JOHNSON continues to flex his power at the plate with two home runs to left-center, knocking one off the scoreboard to finish 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Johnson has been on a tear since becoming a steady fixture in the lineup with seven starts, hitting 9-for-28 (.321) this season.
Six of Johnson's nine hits have been for home runs and two others for doubles, driving in 15 RBI with nine runs scored for a team-high 1.036 slugging percentage.
St. Edward's picked up where it left off the previous day, opening with a five-run first inning punctuated by back-to-back home runs from CULLEN AINSWORTH and Johnson on two different pitchers. Ainsworth ended Cameron starting pitcher Evan Nichols' afternoon with a three-run blast. Johnson welcomed relief pitcher Nate Creason by taking him yard off a 2-2 pitch for a 5-0 lead.
TREVOR SEBEK added another run in the second inning with a leadoff blast in the right-field net for his first collegiate home run.
Cameron strung together four hits, two walks, and a hit batter to take a 7-6 lead in the third inning. Starting pitcher LUKE NEGRETE walked Ryan Allen, surrendered back-to-back singles to load the bases, and walked another to score Cameron's first run.
After Lance Barnett went down swinging, Kai Hershberger singled with a perfectly placed bunt to score a second run. Then, Negrette hit Hunter Smith to score another run, ending his afternoon. JARED SCHAEFFER replaced Negrete, and Zac DeLong welcomed him with a grand slam to give the Aggies the lead.
The lead and any momentum were short-lived. Creason walked Johnson and HUNTER CONNER to open the inning, moved Johnson over on a wild pitch and passed ball, and scored Johnson on a wild pitch to tie the game.
JOSH GRAHAM singled to right field to put runners in the corners, then WESTON SYMES scored Conner on a sacrifice bunt. Then, after Sebek hit an infield single, CONNOR COX hit a three-run bomb to left field. Cox was prolific all weekend, hitting 8-for-16 with three home runs for 11 RBI and six runs scored. The freshman outfielder capped off his series with a 3-for-5 performance with five RBI and three runs scored on Sunday.
LANCE LITTLE kept the inning going with a rip up the middle, and Ainsworth delivered a double down the left-field line that bounced to the fence. Johnson followed with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Ainsworth.
The entire lineup was scorching hot all Saturday and Sunday, but none more so than Ainsworth, who hit 7-for-13 (.538) with four home runs, 12 RBI, and six runs scored this weekend.
St. Edward's added six more runs in the fourth inning, getting an RBI double from Cox, an RBI single from Little, scoring on a wild pitch with bases loaded, getting a sacrifice fly from Ainsworth, and a two-run home run from Johnson off the scoreboard.
NICOLAS DAVIS replaced Schaeffer on the mound to start the fifth and surrendered a leadoff home run to Hershberger before retiring the next three hitters. The Hilltoppers were held scoreless in the same inning for the only time all game.
BLAKE DONNAN started on the mound to start the sixth and struggled with his control, walking two, surrendering a single, and allowing a run on a wild pitch before KEVIN SKWERES replaced him.
Cameron scored two more runs on an error and a wild pitch, reducing its deficit to 19-11 before Smith popped up to end the inning.
The Hilltoppers moved the scoring margin back into double digits with a sacrifice fly from Ainsworth, scoring Little, and an RBI double from Conner. Then, St. Edward's retired three of the five hitters faced in the seventh inning to preserve the 10-run rule.
With the 3-1 week, St. Edward's improves to 12-5 with a 10-5 conference record. The Hilltoppers posted a team .770 slugging percentage, combining for 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. St. Edward's will hit the road next weekend for a four-game series against Texas Permian Basin, with the first game on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
