AUSTIN, Texas – TY MURRAY continues his breakout season, delivering a walk-off single up the middle to deliver St. Edward's baseball a 7-6 victory over the Texas Permian Basin Falcons and a series split for the weekend. 
 
Murray entered the series hitting a scoring .405 in 14 games, but Texas Permian Basin cooled him off through the first three games. The senior outfielder was just 1-for-11 in the series heading into Sunday's game, and the Falcons retired him in his first four plate appearances, but like the rest of his St. Edward's teammates, he remained resilient and came through in the clutch. 
 
Through the first five innings, both teams produced a lot of drama for a game tied at one. St. Edward's loaded the bases in the second and third innings, and Texas Permian Basin did the same in the fourth, with each team coming away with only a single run to show for it. 
 
For a second consecutive game, St. Edward's defense set the tone. In the first inning, Texas Permian Basin twice tested shortstop WESTON SYMES's range. First, it got away with an infield single on a shot deep in the hole. Then, the Falcons grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. 
 
St. Edward's nearly turned another double play in the second inning after surrendering a one-out walk, but Jack Haggerty broke up the play with his slide into second. Ethan Babcock-Barrie followed with a single to left field to put two on, but Quincy McGraw Jr.'s attempt to surprise the defense with a bunt was unsuccessful and fielded by starting pitcher COLIN JACKSON to end the inning.  
 
Texas Permian Basin starter Trevor Barth struggled with his control in the second, walking the first two hitters, but recovered to get two consecutive outs on a strikeout and flyout, walk MAYSON WINTERS to load the bases, and induce a groundout to get out of trouble. 
 
St. Edward's loaded the bases again in the third. CARLO FIGUEROA sparked St. Edward's with a leadoff single to the left side, and CONNOR COX followed with a double, lining a shot that glanced off first base and into right field for the double.  After TY MURRAY popped up to the mound, Barth hit Solis to load the bases and walked KYLER KERLIN to surrender a run. 
 
Barth mitigated the damage with a strikeout and groundout to keep St. Edward's at 1-0, and his Falcons broke through in the top of the fourth. 
 
Jackson struck out Austin Hall to open the inning but walked Haggerty, and Caleb Boswell tied the game with an RBI double that bounced to the left-field fence. Jackson walked two more to load the bases and struck out two, keeping the game tied. 
 
St. Edward's defense was stingy again in the fifth. After a leadoff walk, the team recovered to retire the side with a double play and a fly out to right field. The Hilltoppers weren't as fortunate in the sixth. 
 
Haggerty and Boswell opened with back-to-back singles into left field, ending Jackson's afternoon. KEVIN SKWERES came out of the bullpen and surrendered an RBI bunt for a single off the bat of Babcock-Barrie that trickled toward the foul line but stayed in fair territory by inches. 
 
Texas Permian Basin pinch-hit Matthews for McGraw and got a sacrifice bunt that turned into a two-run error when TREVOR SEBEK's throw to first went wide. Johnson followed with a third consecutive bunt, sacrificing himself to move Matthews to third to set up Hamlin's sacrifice fly to center field before Skweres struck out Victor Perez to get out of the inning with St. Edward's trailing 5-1. 
 
The Hilltoppers left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth and a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh. Texas Permian Basin added another run on an RBI double from Hamlin in the eighth. 
 
St. Edward's caught a break in the eighth when Texas Permian Basin's pitcher hit Symes and Figuroa to put two on, and Murray drove both in with a two-RBI double to center field. Hilltopper reliever GEORGE HETTRICK struck out the side in the ninth, catching Hall and Haggerty looking. 
 
Texas Permian Basin turned to Robarts for the save opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, and DAVIS DREWEK greeted him with a leadoff single. After RYAN FEDDERSEN went down swinging, Robarts walked Symes and Sebek and hit Figueroa to score one run. Then, Cox grounded out to second, scoring Symes to bring St. Edward's to within one. 
 
With two outs, Murray drove a 1-1 count up the middle, scoring Sebek and Figueroa as the dugout emptied in celebration to greet Murray near first base. Murray was one of three Hilltoppers with two hits and drove in four runs. 
 
It was the third time in three consecutive weeks that Murray has come up with a big Sunday performance to earn St. Edward's a series split. He's now third on the team in batting average and second in RBIs. 
 
St. Edward's is 10-12 on the season with a 10-10 conference record. The Hilltoppers will travel next weekend for a four-game road series against UT Tyler, starting Friday at 7 p.m.