AUSTIN, Texas – Relief pitcher BEN SMEDSHAMMER stabilized St. Edward's baseball long enough for the Hilltopper bats to climb back into a game that ended in a walk-off walk for one of the most chaotic finishes of the season. 
 
St. Mary's opened the game with five unanswered runs in the first two innings. Dillon Lopez put the Rattlers on the scoreboard with a solo blast off CARSON BLAKELEY in the top of the first, and Jacob King followed with a two-RBI double in the same inning.  
 
The Rattlers scored two more runs in the second inning off reliever BRENNAN BERDON. St. Mary's loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, setting up Garrett Brooks' two-RBI single through the left side. 
 
St. Edward's turned to Smedshammer for the first time this series, and the senior pitcher delivered one of his best performances at the Hilltop, getting out of the inning and going 5.2 innings, limiting St. Mary's to a single run on three hits with one walk while striking out five. 
 
It was a crucial foothold in the game for a Hilltopper bullpen struggling for arms with key relievers still working their way back from injury and the starting pitchers exhausted in the previous two games after bringing Rayfield out of the bullpen for two consecutive days. 
 
Smedshammer retired the side in order in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Trey Guajardo broke through with a leadoff home run in the sixth, but Smedshammer maintained his composure and kept the Rattlers off the scoreboard the rest of the sixth and seventh. 
 
The goose eggs Smedshammer put up on the scoreboard bought St. Edward's time. The Hilltoppers scored three runs in the third inning, opening with a single and a walk from CONNOR COX and LANCE LITTLE, then scoring on a sac fly from MARCO BARRERA and a two-run blast from CARLO FIGUEROA to pull within 5-3. 
 
St. Edward's put runners on through the next few innings, but couldn't bring them in, stranding three in the fourth, and two in the fifth and sixth innings. 
 
The Hilltoppers loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a bunt single, and Cox cleared them all with a three-RBI double to right-center to tie the game. After Little went down swinging, Barrera gave St. Edward's its first lead with an RBI single through the right side. 
 
St. Edward's turned to KOBE JARAMILLO off short rest to start the eighth and got two quick outs. However, Raithen Malone drew a walk, and Jacob Elizondo capitalized with a two-run blast to retake the lead. 
 
St. Mary's reliever Brandon Vasquez walked JOSH GRAHAM and hit TREVOR SEBEK to start the eighth, JEREMY HILL pinch-hit and moved both over with a sac bunt to set up DYLAN TATE's sac fly to tie the game. An error on TRAVIS CHESTNUT's bunt extended the inning and scored a run, and Cox extended the lead to 10-8 with an RBI single to center field. 
St. Mary's King tied the game with another two-out, two-run home run. 
 
Figueroa flied out to deep center field to open the bottom of the ninth, but JOSH GRAHAM ripped a single into the outfield and earned two extra bases on an error. St. Mary's intentionally loaded the bases with back-to-back intentional walks, but walked Tate on four straight pitches to end the game. 
 
Cox hit 3-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored. Barrera, Figueroa, and Tate each had two RBI. St. Edward's advances to the LSC Championship Round, opening the double-elimination tournament on Thursday against UT Tyler at 2:00 p.m.