CANYON, Texas – A walk-off home run in the ninth cost St. Edward's baseball an opportunity to split its four-game series against No.19-ranked West Texas A&M in a 7-5 loss. 
 
St. Edward's shifted its lineup around the previous day and found production from WESTON SYMES at leadoff and TY MURRAY at the bottom of the lineup. Murray put St. Edward's on the scoreboard first in the top of the second, delivering a two-out RBI single through the left side to score TREVOR SEBEK, who opened the inning with an infield single. 
 
The Hilltoppers plated another run in the third on four walks but had an opportunity for more when CONNOR COX was thrown out trying to score from first on a DILLON FLORES double to center field. 
 
St. Edward's starter, LUKE NEGRETE, kept West Texas A&M scoreless for two innings but struggled with his control, walking four hitters to three strikeouts, and HAEVEN CICHOCKI replaced him after he walked the leadoff hitter in the third. Cichocki got out of the inning unscathed, stranding three, then retired the next six hitters in order. 
 
West Texas A&M broke through in the sixth, opening with back-to-back singles from Landon Gaber and Paul Wittman. Batista moved both into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, and Glenn Noronha drove in Gaber on a sacrifice fly to center field. 
 
CONNOR COX added a run in the seventh with an RBI double to left field, scoring KYLER KERLIN, but West Texas A&M responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. 
 
NICK DAVIS replaced Cichocki and immediately surrendered back-to-back singles. St. Edward's turned to BEN SMEDSHAMMER out of the bullpen, but Kory Schmidt drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Festerman hit a two-run blast to give West Texas A&M the 4-3 lead. 
 
Murray opened the top of the ninth with a leadoff single, and after Kerlin popped up attempting to bunt, Symes delivered an RBI triple and scored on a throwing error from the cutoff man to retake the lead for St. Edward's. 
 
GEORGE HETTRICK, who replaced Smedshammer in the eighth, surrendered a leadoff single in the ninth. The Hilltoppers turned to closer KEVIN SKWERES, who got an out on a sac bunt and walked Wittmann before surrendering a three-run blast to pinch-hitter Zak Betancourt to end the game. 
 
Symes and Murray had two hits each for St. Edward's, each driving in an RBI and scoring a run. St. Edward's finished with eight hits and left seven stranded. 
 
St. Edward's drops to 4-6 with a 4-4 conference record. The Hilltoppers will return home and host Eastern New Mexico in a four-game series next weekend.