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Box Score 2 AUSTIN, Texas —
Drake Roberts picked the most opportune time to hit his first homer as a Rattler, pelting a game-winning grand slam against none other than St. Mary's biggest foe St. Edward's, drawing a split in Friday's doubleheader.
The showdown Friday pitted the Heartland Conference's top teams in the league, currently tied for the No. 1 spot, on the Hilltoppers' home field as the two nationally ranked teams split the twinbill with SEU taking Game 1 15-4 and the Rattlers overtaking the Hilltop in Game 2, 5-3.
Starting ace
Rene Solis (Sr., San Antonio) led the redemption in Game 2, silencing the No. 11 Hilltoppers after a three-run first inning to keep them scoreless the next eight innings while striking out five in his eighth complete game on the season.
Solis got his run support in his eighth win on the season in the sixth inning when a loaded-bases situation peaked the clutch ability in Roberts (Jr., Brenham, Texas), who sent a bomb over the left field fence on his second pitch to give the Rattlers a 4-3 lead.
Roberts' monster grand slam was followed by an extra insurance run in the eighth when
Omar Garcia's (RS-Jr., El Paso, Texas) RBI-single gave the final score of 5-3.
The huge series, which will potentially decide the regular-season champion and host of the conference championship tournament, will be decided with the rubber match at 1 p.m. Saturday in Austin, Texas.
The doubleheader split kept the No. 13 Rattlers and No. 11 Hilltoppers with identical league records, now at 14-6, while SEU now sits with a 27-11 overall record and StMU with a 27-12 overall record.
Mario Maldonado (Jr., Laredo, Texas) picked up the loss in Game 1 to drop to 2-2 on the season while
Brooks Orton (Jr., Cedar City, Utah) went .500 at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a team-high two RBIs.
First pitch for the series finale is set for 1 p.m. Saturday in Austin, Texas.
