AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's baseball surrendered five runs in each of the second and third innings on its way to an 18-11 loss to the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Lions to split the weekend's four-game series. 
 
Arkansas Fort Smith struck first as it had all series, scoring on a Dakota Peters RBI double to right-center in the top of the first. St. Edward's answered immediately, opening with a leadoff walk from TREVOR SEBEK and CARLO FIGUEROA double, then a wild pitch to tie the game. CONNOR COX gave St. Edward's the 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to center field. 
 
St. Edward's appeared to have momentum on its side, and COLIN JACKSON opened the second by striking out Blayse Quarnstrom and Matt Schilling. However, Jackson walked Noah Davis, and an error extended the inning to disastrous results for St. Edward's. 
 
Jackson hit Jordon Helm and walked Michael Brinton, surrendering a run on a wild pitch. Then Peters cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to left-center. St. Edward's turned to AUSTIN ESSEX out of the bullpen, and Nico Patrick capped off the inning with an RBI single for the 6-2 lead. 
 
St. Edward's took advantage of two walks and a hit batter at the bottom of the second, scoring on a balk with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, the Hilltoppers left two stranded, and Arkansas Fort Smith piled on five more runs in the third. 
 
The first four Lions reached safely, with Shilling driving in a run with an RBI double, Helm and Brinton's back-to-back sacrifice flies, and Peters's two-run blast, ending Essex's afternoon in favor of LUKE NEGRETE. Brinton added two more runs in the fourth with a two-RBI double, extending the lead to 13-3. 
 
St. Edward's took advantage of two walks and a balk with two outs to set up a DILLON FLORES two-RBI single through the right side, but Arkansas Fort Smith got those runs back and then one with an RBI single from Ryan Riggs, then a two-run blast from Taylor off reliever BEN SMEDSHAMMER. 
 
The Hilltoppers opened the bottom of the sixth inning with three consecutive hits, including a leadoff double from Sebek and back-to-back home runs from Figueroa and Cox. After TY MURRAY grounded out, DIEGO SOLIS and KYLER KERLIN hit consecutive singles, and DAVIS DREWEK drew a walk to load the bases. 
 
Arkansas Fort Smith turned to its bullpen, and Jakob Petros walked Flores for St. Edward's ninth run before recording back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning. 
 
St. Edward's held Arkansas Fort Smith scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings and scored two in the eighth on Flores's two-RBI double to right center. However, the Lions got those runs back on Riggs' sacrifice fly and Patrick's RBI double in the ninth. 
 
Flores led St. Edward's with five RBIs, hitting 3-for-4. Figueroa also had three hits, two RBIs, and scored twice. Sebek, Cox, Solis, and Kerlin all had two hits, and Drewek was 1-for-2 with three walks. 
 
St. Edward's falls to 13-16 with a 13-15 conference record. The Hilltoppers will travel next weekend to play at Oklahoma Christian.