AUSTIN, Texas – A throwing error in the top of the ninth cost St. Edward's baseball, giving Angelo State new life and a 2-1 series lead with the 6-4 win over the Hilltoppers.
JAKUB RAYFIELD opened on the mound for St. Edward's with back-to-back strikeouts, fanning Justin Harris and sitting down Jacob Guerrero looking. Angelo State threatened with back-to-back singles from Tripp Clark and Conagher Sands, but Weston Valasek grounded into the fielder's choice at third to end the inning.
TREVOR SEBEK battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, fighting off several pitches.
DAVIS DREWEK followed with a single to left field, and after
LANCE LITTLE flied out,
DIEGO SOLIS drew a walk to load the bases.
DILLON FLORES gave St. Edward's the lead with a two-RBI single sent right back at starting pitcher Alezeah Gutierrez and through the middle. An error at second loaded the bases for St. Edward's, and
TY MURRAY drove in Solis with the fielder's choice to second.
After Rayfield struck out Kelton to start the second, Ryder McDaniel singled up the middle, and Blake Wilhoit moved him over with a sac bunt. Hunter Holt followed with a shot right back at Rayfield's head, with the latter managing to get his glove up in self-defense to knock the ball down and limit the damage to a single. Angelo State scored its first run with the double steal play, with St. Edward's ignoring the runner at third to get the out at second to end the inning after the run scored.
Valasek reached second with one out on an error with a collision in the outfield, but Rayfield battled back to strike out Kelton and pick Valasek off to get out of the inning.
Angelo State cut into the lead again in the fifth. McDaniel hit a leadoff double through the left side, and Wilhoit moved him over again with a sac bunt to set up Holt's RBI on a groundout to second.
Murray hit a one-out single through the left side in the sixth and advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error, but Jacob Guerrero robbed Kerlin with a diving catch in left field and relief pitcher Johnny Stacy struck out
WESTON SYMES to end the inning.
Rayfield cruised through the first two outs of the seventh but issued his first walk and hit batter back-to-back. However, Kerlin made an outstanding play on a slow-moving grounder up the middle to get the third out at first.
St. Edward's added another run in the seventh. Sebek drew a leadoff walk, then Drewek ripped a ball to first that was misplayed, putting runners on the corners after the error. Little followed with a sac fly to drive in Sebek.
A throwing error on Flores's grounder to third appeared to extend the inning, but Drewek was thrown out trying to score from first on the play.
Rayfield struck out Guerrero, and Clark popped up for two quick outs to start the eighth. However, Tayten Tredaway drew a pinch-hit walk and stole second, and Valasek singled to center to end Rayfield's afternoon with runners on the corners. Angelo State executed a double steal to score another run before
NICK DAVIS struck out McDaniel.
After St. Edward's went down in order in the eighth, a throwing error on a swinging strikeout in the dirt extended the inning and allowed Angelo State to rally for the lead. Wilhoite drew a leadoff walk, and then Holt popped out behind the plate on the bunt attempt. Davis struck out Harris while Wilhoite stole second.
Guerrero went down swinging for what should've been the third out, but the ball went in the dirt, and Solis's throw from home to first plunked Guerrero in the head, scoring Wilhoite. Clark followed with a two-run blast for the 6-4 lead.
Angelo State turned to its closer, Caleb Heuertz, to start the ninth, and the senior right-hander retired the side to pick up his fifth save.
Rayfield went 7.2 innings with nine strikeouts, two walks, and three runs on seven hits in the no-decision. Drewek, Little, Flores, Murray, and Symes each had a hit.
St. Edward's drops to 20-25 with a 20-23 conference record. St. Edward's and Angelo State will conclude the series with a final game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
