SAN ANGELO, Texas – St. Edward's baseball exploded for nine runs in the first inning and withstood Lubbock Christian's late run to open the NCAA South Central Regional with a 10-7 victory over the Chaparrals.
 
St. Edward's ace KOBE JARAMILLO and Lubbock Christian's Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Year, Ryan Markwardt, squared off for a second consecutive week. For the third time in three games this season, the Hilltoppers hung a loss on Markwardt's record, accounting for three of his five defeats. 
 
Jaramillo set the tone by freezing Kyle Lewis for the game-opening strikeout. After LSC Player of the Year Brevin McCool singled to center, the Hilltopper defense turned an inning-ending double play. After Markwardt kept the Hilltoppers off-balance until an eighth-inning suicide squeeze during last week's LSC Championships, St. Edward's attacked the senior left-hander early and often. 
 
Cox hit a one-out single to center field, advanced on a passed ball, and moved to third on LANCE LITTLE's groundout to the mound. The Hilltoppers reeled off four consecutive singles combined with aggressive, hit-and-run baserunning with two outs for a 3-0 lead. Then, St. Ed's took advantage of an inning-extending error to tack on six more. 
 
MARCO BARRERA put St. Edward's on the scoreboard with an RBI single to center field, DIEGO SOLIS drove in another with an RBI single to left, and JOSH GRAHAM found a hole through the left side for a third run. 
 
After St. Edward's scored two more on an error, Markwardt walked DYLAN TATE and hit TRAVIS CHESTNUT to load the bases for Cox, who cleared them with a three-RBI double to left-center. Little closed the scoring run with an RBI single up the middle. 
 
Andrew Duran replaced Markwardt to start the third and loaded the bases with no outs, but limited the Hilltoppers to a single run for the 10-0 lead. Jaramillo kept Lubbock Christian scoreless for four innings, allowing a single runner in each inning but retiring the other three.  
 
Frayner Chavez broke the shutout in the fifth with an RBI double to left-center after Aidan Finnegan drew a leadoff walk. McCool added a sac fly. The Chaps continued to chip away at the lead with an RBi single from Kade York in the sixth, and a solo blast from McCool in the seventh. 
 
The Chaps put two on with one out in the eighth, and the Hilltoppers turned to GEORGE HETTRICK out of the bullpen, who limited the damage to an RBI single from Lewis, picking him off at first.
 
An error extended Lubbock Christian's at-bat in the ninth, paving the way for a two-run blast from Shea Bowen, but Hettrick responded by getting Tijerina to ground out to pick up the save. 
 
Cox hit 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. CARLO FIGUEROA and Solis each posted two hits and a run. Jaramillo (W, 10-2) went 7.1 innings, striking out five with five runs surrendered. Hettrick's two surrendered runs were unearned. The Hilltoppers will play Angelo State tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.