Ouachita Baptist spoils Hilltoppers offensive explosion, completing the series sweep, 18-16!

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AUSTIN, Texas – The #28 St. Edward’s baseball team hit its offensive stride but couldn’t hold on to an early lead and dropped a wild game against #12 Ouachita Baptist Sunday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field. The Tigers prevailed in this four-hour long marathon, 18-16.

St. Edward’s (0-3) fell behind early against Ouachita Baptist (3-0). The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning thanks to third baseman Rudy Jovanovski and first baseman Destin Makonnen’s back-to-back home runs. Ouachita Baptist scored three more runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth to push their lead to 7-0, but the Hilltoppers would answer with a big inning of their own.

The Hilltopper offense exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning. They scored 12 runs on 12 hits. Left fielder Bradley Goldsmith led off the inning with a solo home run to left center field. After a pair of Hilltopper hits, second baseman Drew Cross drove an RBI single to left field. First baseman Dexter Moreno followed suit with a two-run single. Immediately following Moreno ’s single, right fielder Mike Hancock cleared the bases with a three-run home run. The Hilltoppers continued to roll in the inning with a three-run triple off the bat of third baseman Brian Thomas, who scored on the play as well because of a Tiger throwing error. Moreno concluded the fourth inning scoring surge with an RBI single to left field.

Ouachita Baptist answered the Hilltopper rally with a five run fifth inning that tied the score, 12-12. The Hilltoppers added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double by Thomas but the Tigers tacked on four more in the sixth inning.

St. Edward’s fought back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run off the bat of Moreno . Moreno had an outstanding day, going 3-5 with five RBI’s and two runs scored but the Hilltoppers were unable to hold off the Tigers and they went on to take the game, 18-16.

Both teams found their stride offensively during this game but there were a few bright spots on the pitching staffs. The closers for each team turned in solid outings. For the Hilltoppers, David Wagner went three innings, allowing only three hits and one run. The Tigers closer, Patrick Lemmond, worked 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year.

The Hilltoppers will be back in action Friday afternoon to open Heartland Conference against Lincoln . The first pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Lucian-Hamilton Field.