SAN ANGELO, Texas – MATTHEW GILES delivered a two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, and closer KEVIN SKWERES preserved it in the ninth to push St. Edward's baseball past Texas-Tyler 5-4 in the first game of the double-elimination portion of the Lone Star Conference Tournament. 

Texas-Tyler jumped to an early lead with an RBI single from Austin Ochoa, scoring Jordan Gochenour, who hit a leadoff single. The Patriots added three more runs in the second, getting a leadoff home run from Hayden Clearman and a two-run blast from Gochenour for the 4-0 lead. 

Starting pitcher WESLEY GAFFORD settled in after that, retiring the side in order in the third, striking out the side in the fourth, and producing another three-up, three-down order in the fifth. 

St. Edward's plated its first run in the bottom of the second. CULLEN AINSWORTH opened the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a LUKE JOHNSON groundout to second. Finally, Giles drove him in with an RBI single to center field. 

The Hilltoppers added another run in the third, getting a two-out RBI single to left field from DAVIS DREWEK, scoring CONNOR COX, who was hit by a pitch. 

NICOLAS DAVIS took the mound for St. Edward's to start the sixth and pitched three scoreless innings, striking out two with no walks and surrendering only three hits. 

Cox opened the seventh with a double to left field off Texas-Tyler reliever Julio Garcia. However, he was thrown out at third on LANCE LITTLE's grounder to the mound. Drewek followed with a single, then Ainsworth walked to load the bases. 

Then, Texas-Tyler went to its bullpen, inserting Garrett Arredondo and St. Edward's responded by putting in RYAN FEDDERSEN for LUKE JOHNSON. Feddersen reached on a fielder's choice to second, scoring Little. Giles followed with a two-RBI double over the left fielder's head, bookending St. Edward's scoring to finish 2-for-4 with three RBIs. 

Skweres replaced Davis to start the ninth and surrendered a leadoff single to Adrian Minjares. However, pinch-hitter Hutchinson grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, and Skweres caught Gochenour looking for the game-ending strikeout, picking up his fifth save. 

Baseball moves to 39-13 and advances to the winner's bracket in the LSC Tournament, where it will face the winner between Angelo State and Lubbock Christian tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.