AUSTIN, Texas – JACK GRANACK (W, 3-3) made St. Edward's baseball history, and TREVOR SEBEK drove in four runs to lead the Hilltoppers to a 12-9 victory over St. Mary's in Game 1 of the Battle of the Saints. 
 
Granack made his 55th career start on the mound, becoming the program's all-time career leader. In the first inning, he retired three of four and surrendered a one-out home run to Garrett Brooks. 
 
St. Edward's welcomed LANCE LITTLE back to the lineup and erupted for seven runs in the first inning. Sebek and DAVIS DREWEK led off with back-to-back triples, and Little ripped a single through the left side for an RBI, giving the Hilltoppers a 2-1 lead in their first three at-bats.
 
After TY MURRAY grounded into a fielder's choice with the out at second, the Hilltoppers loaded the bases with a single and walk, then scored two more runs on walks with a strikeout in between to get St. Edward's through the lineup. 
 
Sebek stepped to the plate for his second at-bat of the inning and launched a three-RBI double down the right-field line, giving the team a 7-1 lead. 
 
St. Mary's chipped into the lead with one run in the second and third innings. Two walks and a passed ball set up an RBI on a groundout in the second, and RJ Galvan drove in Jake Elizondo on an RBI double in the third. 
 
Granack and the Hilltopper defense settled in and held the Rattlers scoreless over the next three innings. Granack struck out two, and St. Edward's retired eight consecutive Rattlers over that stretch.
 
St. Edward's added to the lead in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring on Sebek's groundout and DILLON FLORES's two-out blast. St. Mary's answered with four runs in the seventh. Brooks hit his second home run of the day with a three-run blast, prompting St. Edward's to turn to the bullpen. Galvan greeted LUKE NEGRETE with another home run, pulling St. Mary's within two at 9-7.
 
The Rattlers threatened again in the eighth with a Jorge Cuevas double, but Negrete went right after Brooks with a big strikeout to escape unscathed. 
 
Murray delivered St. Edward's third triple of the day on a leadoff frozen rope to left center and scored on DIEGO SOLIS's RBI single to shallow center field. After Nate Owens moved Solis over on a sacrifice bunt, KYLER KERLIN drew a walk, and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch to set up JOEL SHEA's RBI sacrifice fly. WESTON SYMES followed with an RBI double that one-hopped to the right-center wall for the 12-7 lead. 
 
The three insurance runs proved vital when Eaton Parrish hit a two-run home run off Negrete, ending the latter's day. Essex came out of the bullpen and shut St. Mary's down singlehandedly, fielding a grounder down the first-base line for an unassisted out and striking out the next two hitters for the save. 
 
Sebek was 4-for-6 with a triple, double, four RBI, and a run scored. Drewek was officially 1-for-1 but reached on all five at-bats with two walks and two hit-by-pitches. Solis was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Little, Murray, Flores, Kerlin, JOEL SHEA, and Symes each had a hit. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 17-18 with a 17-16 conference record. The Battle of the Saints continues with a doubleheader tomorrow at noon.