SAN ANTONIO – TRAVIS CHESTNUT and CONNOR COX went yard to lead St. Edward's baseball to a 4-2 win over St. Mary's, earning a split in the four-game Battle of the Saints series. The duo combined for 14 hits, 13 RBI, and five home runs in four games. 
 
St. Edward's loaded the bases in the first inning on walks drawn by Chestnut and LANCE LITTLE, and an infield single from Cox rocketed off the leg of St. Mary's starting pitcher Hagen Rose before he could react. DYLAN TATE drove in a run on a sac fly to left field, but the Hilltoppers left two stranded. 
 
Both teams went scoreless over the next few innings in a defensive battle broken up by a leadoff home run ripped to left field by Chestnut, the third of the series and a team-high ninth this season. 
 
Brendan Concannon cut the Hilltopper lead in half with a two-out solo blast to left field at the bottom of the inning, and Easton Parrish tied the game at the bottom of the sixth. St. Edward's starter Carson Blakely (W, 3-1) surrendered a leadoff single up the middle, then walked two more to load the bases with one out. Parrish delivered a sac fly to center field before Blakely got out of the inning, stranding two. 
 
St. Mary's reliever Matthew Janecek (L, 1-1) plunked Chestnut to open the seventh, and Cox gave St. Edward's the lead on a two-run home run to left field, hitting his seventh of the season and 43rd RBI. 
 
JAKUB RAYFIELD replaced Blakely in the eighth and retired three consecutive Rattlers after surrendering a leadoff walk, striking out Jake Elizondo. St. Mary's put two on in the ninth, but Rayfield struck out Christian Keller to end the game. 
 
Cox hit 3-for-5 with two RBI, and the run scored on the home run. Chestnut hit 1-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Blakeley went seven innings in the win, surrendering two runs on two hits. Rayfield picked up his first save a day after earning a win in relief. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 24-10 with a 23-9 conference record. The Hilltoppers return home to host Lubbock Christian next weekend, with the first game on Friday at 2:00 p.m.