Drew Cross
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
AUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward’s baseball team split two games with #6 Southern Arkansas Sunday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field. The Hilltoppers took the first game, 8-7, and dropped the second contest, 9-5.
In game one, Southern Arkansas (1-1) got on the board early in the first inning. After a leadoff walk to designated hitter Dane Lucas, second baseman Cannon Lester delivered a two-run home run over the right field fence. The Mulerider’s scored again in the second inning when center fielder Gavan McCauley drove in a run on a groundout to second base.
Southern Arkansas scored again in the fifth inning when Lester notched his second home run of the game. This one was a solo shot to left field, putting the Mulerider’s up 4-0.
St. Edward’s (1-1) came raging back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Right fielder Mike Hancock started the inning off by reaching on a throwing error by the Mulerider third baseman. After a line out by catcher Adam Wolotira, shortstop Jeremy Houser knocked a single to left field. Center fielder Dylan Schuch followed this up with an infield single, loading the bases. The bases wouldn’t stay loaded for long though, as second baseman Drew Cross stepped up to the plate and cleared them with a grand slam to right center field. This tied the score up, 4-4.
The Mulerider’s regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning. The scored two runs via RBI singles from left fielder Nick Smith and Lucas.
The Hilltoppers came right back in the bottom half of the inning. Singles by first baseman Dexter Moreno and Hancock helped load the bases for the Hilltoppers. Pinch hitter Justin Ruffini came through in the clutch, knocking a two-run single to center field and tying the score yet again.
This latest tie score did not last long though. Leading off the seventh inning for the Mulerider’s, Lester notched his third home run of the game to give the Mulerider’s the lead.
St. Edward’s would not quit though. Cross led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double. This was followed up with a single from designated hitter Nick Godre, advancing Cross to third base. Godre advanced to second on a failed safety squeeze bunt off the bat of left fielder Chandler Mosser. This brought Moreno to the plate with men on second and third and the game on the line. The junior first baseman rose to the challenge and delivered a game-winning two-run single up the middle. The Hilltoppers took the game, 8-7.
Cross led the way for the Hilltoppers, going 2-4 with four RBI’s. Moreno also went 2-4 with two RBI’s.
In game two, the Mulerider’s got on the scoreboard first again. First baseman Tim Dellwo drove in the first run with an RBI bloop single to center field. They got another run on a bases loaded hit batter.
The Hilltoppers took advnatage of a bloop single of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Third baseman Robert Hays found an open space in center field with a soft popup to drive in Schuch. Designated Hitter Nick Godre drove in another run on a ground ball to third base. The big blow in the inning came when Moreno launched a two-run home run over the left-center field fence. This gave St. Edward’s a 4-2 lead.
Southern Arkansas came back with a big fourth inning. The Mulerider’s scored six runs on five hits. Smith came up with the key hit during the inning, a three run double to left-center field.
Each team scored another run in the game, but Southern Arkansas clinched the victory when Brendan McDonald came in and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of seventh. McDonald’s first save of the season secured a 9-5 victory for the Mulerider’s.
Hays paced the offense in the second game. He went 2-3 with an RBI. Moreno was 1-4, notching his first home run of the season. Schuch went 2-4 and scored two runs.
On the mound for the Hilltoppers, freshman Jeff Rohrback had a solid outing in relief. Rohrback’s collegiate debut included five innings in which he allowed only two runs, two hits, and struck out three Southern Arkansas batters.
The Hilltoppers will be back in action Monday afternoon to complete their season-opening series against Southern Arkansas . The first pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Lucian-Hamilton Field.
