ALPINE, Texas – LANCE LITTLE and TRAVIS CHESTNUT combined for seven RBI and five runs scored to lead St. Edward's baseball to a series-opening 17-5 win over the Sul Ross State Lobos. 
 
St. Edward's scored four runs in the second and third innings, jumping to an 8-0 lead. The Hilltoppers loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning on two walks and a NICHOLAS ANDERSON double. Sul Ross State starter Christian Loveless walked TREVOR SEBEK and hit DYLAN TATE to plate St. Edward's first two runs, and CONNOR COX drove in the other two on a single to left field. 
 
Little, who made his first appearance last Sunday, knocked some rust off his game by smashing the ball for a two-RBI double to center field in the third. Then, Chestnut hit a single, compounded by a Sul Ross State error that scored Little and moved Chestnut to second. Chestnut advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on GRAYSON THALLMAN's groundout. 
 
Darren Acosta replaced Loveless in the fourth and walked Tate and CARLO FIGUEROA, setting up an RBI groundout from MARCO BARRERA for the 9-0 lead. 
 
Rene Ramos broke through in the fifth with a solo blast. Sul Ross State picked up momentum with a double and two walks to load the bases, but Jaramillo struck out Corbin Montayne and Estevan Ortiz grounded out to minimize the damage. 
 
Little and Chestnut hit back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth to extend the lead to 10 runs at 11-1, and Figuroa added another run on a sac fly in the seventh. 
 
Sul Ross State avoided the mercy rule with three runs on two hits in the seventh. Lopez hit a leadoff double, Primo Vasquez walked, and a wild pitch put runners on the corners. Aaron Morales hit a sac fly and Brock Rogers hit a two-RBI triple to extend the game. 
 
NIC LUNA took over in the eighth after Estrada walked the leadoff hitter and surrendered an RBI single to Vasquez. 
 
An error with two outs extended St. Edward's ninth inning at the plate. Figueroa, Barrera, and Little hit three consecutive triples to load the bases, scoring Figueroa and CONNOR COX, and Chestnut hitting a two-RBI triple to left-center. Anderson followed with an RBI single. 
 
St. Edward's retired three of four in the ninth to end the game. 
 
KOBE JARAMILLO (5-0) went five innings in the win, striking out four with three walks, five hits, and one run surrendered. Little and Chesnut each hit 3-for-5. Little drove in four RBIs and scored three times, and Chestnut finished with three RBIs and scored twice. Barrera and Anderson each had two hits and an RBI. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 16-6 with a 15-6 conference record. The Hilltoppers will continue the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.