AUSTIN — The first game of the best-of-three series in the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship Battle of the Saints series went to St. Edward's, 7-4, on Friday afternoon.
St. Mary's (28-23) outhit the Hilltoppers (33-18) 10-to-9 in the game, but stranded seven runners on base. Senior
Jacob Elizondo (San Antonio), senior
Hogan Heller (San Antonio) and junior
Jaxon Daigre (Pinehurst, Texas) each recorded a pair of hits, with Heller hitting his fourth home run of the year. Junior
Garrett Brooks (Spring Branch, Texas) tallied two of the team's three RBIs.
Junior
Hagen Rose (Troy, Texas) dropped to 4-3 on the year with the loss. He threw five innings, giving up five runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Sophomore
Matthew Janecek (Houston) pitched the final three frames. He allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
One of the most successful pitchers in the league over the last few seasons, Kobe Jaramillo, improved to 7-2 for the Hilltoppers. He pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while Jakub Rayfield earned his second save, allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout.
The Rattlers wasted no time breaking onto the scoreboard, plating a run in the top of the first. Elizondo singled up the middle, was bunted to second on a sacrifice by Lopez, and scored on a double to left by Brooks. A Connor Cox home run in the bottom of the first knotted the score at 1-1.
The Hilltoppers opened the game up with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-1 lead.
The Rattlers scored one in the sixth. King doubled up the middle with one out, stole third and scored on an error on the play, but the Hilltoppers answered with two in the bottom half of the inning for the 7-2 score.
StMU added another in the seventh inning. Daigre singled through the right side of the infield, went to third on a double to right field by Lopez, and scored on a groundout by Brooks. A solo home run in the eighth by Heller brought the team within three, but the Rattlers were retired in order in the ninth for the 7-4 final.
The two teams square off on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Lucian Hamilton Field in a must-win game for the Rattlers.
