GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Three runs separated St. Edward's and Colorado Mesa in a 7-4 Hilltopper loss, but the real difference between the two nationally-ranked teams was only a few feet.
With two outs and two on in the bottom of the ninth, St. Edward's pinch-hit LUKE JOHNSON for DAVIS DREWEK to face All-Region closer Anthony Durbano. Facing a 1-2 count, Johnson sent one of his trademark drives into deep left field that seemed to teleport off the bat. Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, the ball reappeared on the wrong side of the foul pole instead of tying the game.
Given another opportunity, Durbano closed the door with a strikeout on the next pitch, blowing one past Johnson to end the game.
St. Edward's battled for its season to the last pitch, holding onto a 3-2 lead until Colorado Mesa put together a four-run inning in the top of the eighth inning.
Colorado Mesa struck first with an RBI single to left field from Conrad Villafuerte, driving in Rob Sharrar, who hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and stole third.
St. Edward's plated two runs with two outs in the third inning to take the lead, getting an RBI double from LANCE LITTLE and an RBI triple by CULLEN AINSWORTH. TREVOR SEBEK added another run in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring JOSH GRAHAM for the 3-1 lead.
Sharrar cut into the lead with a solo blast to right field. The Colorado Mesa leadoff hitter was perfect at the plate, hitting 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs, and two walks as the only Colorado Mesa player with multiple hits.
St. Edward's starting pitcher JACK GRANACK turned in a solid performance for the Hilltoppers, going seven innings with two strikeouts and only two hits surrendered, leaving the game with a 3-2 lead.
AUSTIN ESSEX started the eighth for St. Edward's, facing three batters. After getting Villafuerte to ground out, Essex walked Stevenson Reynolds and surrendered a two-run home run to Harrison Rodgers to relinquish the lead. KEVIN SKWERES replaced Essex. After Caleb Thomason flied out, Christos Stefanos hit a solo homer. Then, Skweres hit Decaln Wiesner and walked Jonathon Gonzales, setting up an RBI double from Sharrar for the 6-3 Colorado Mesa lead before JACK ENGELMANN entered the game and ended the inning.
St. Edward's loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but could not drive in a run. Colorado Mesa scored a run in the top of the ninth on a Thomason sacrifice fly on reliever JARED SCHAEFFER, scoring Villafuerte, who Engelmann walked.
RYAN FEDDERSEN entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a leadoff single, but TREVOR SEBEK grounded into a double play to stall the momentum. CONNOR COX followed with his seventh home run of the season, capping off a stellar freshman season with a 3-for-5 performance, finishing the season with the team's highest batting average (.404).
LANCE LITTLE, the other Hilltopper to hit better than .400, followed with a single to center field, and Durbano walked Ainsworth, setting the stage for Johnson's final at-bat and Durbano's 10th save.
Cox and Little hit a combined 5-for-9 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Sebek, Ainsworth, MATTHEW GILES, and WESTON SYMES each had one hit, with Sebek and Ainsworth driving in an RBI each. St. Edward's ends the season with a 40-17 record.
