AUSTIN – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Baseball split its doubleheader at St. Edward's Saturday, defeating the Hilltoppers, 8-6, in game one before the home team took the nightcap, 10-4.
St. Edward's leads the series, 2-1, ahead of the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
UAFS 8, St. Edward's 6
The Lions scored four times in the seventh to pull off the come from behind win in game one to even the series.
Outfielder Zach Slunder tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI double to drive in outfielder Cash Balentine, then came around to score the go-ahead run on an RBI single by third baseman Brooks Sunny. After a walk, first baseman Nolan Riley doubled in a pair of insurance runs as the Lions took an 8-5 lead.
The Hilltoppers got a homer in the bottom of the inning, but the Lions held on for the win.
UAFS was held hitless until the fifth but had scored a run in the first on a pair of errors. In between, the Hilltopper scored twice in the third and three times in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.
In the fifth, the Lions put the first two runners on before Balentine drove in a run with an RBI groundout. The next batter – outfielder Hunter Church – then hit his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot to pull the Lions within 5-4.
Reliever Jakob Petross got the win after tossing 3.1 strong innings, with his only run allowed the homer in the seventh. He gave up six hits with no walks or strikeouts. Logan Grant started on the mound and allowed five runs on six hits with three punchouts.
The Hilltoppers broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth with six runs and then added three more in the sixth to split the doubleheader.
The Lions took the lead in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by catcher Trevor Brown, only to see the Hilltoppers tie it in the bottom half on a steal of home.
UAFS loaded the bases in the top of the fifth but left the runners stranded. Then came the St. Edward's rally in the bottom of the fifth, with five of the runs scoring with two outs.
Church then hit his second homer of the day, a three-run blast in the top of the sixth, but the Hilltoppers answered with a three-run homer of their own.
Brayden Johnson got the start on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts.