Box Score CLEBURNE, Texas (May 11, 2017) – T.J. Giselbach produced five RBI, with a three-run home runs with two outs in the seventh inning, capping a five-run inning to help St. Edward's string together eight straight runs and overcome a 6-4 deficit and help No.4-seed St. Edward's University open the Heartland Conference Tournament with a 12-8 victory over No.9 Lubbock Christian University Friday afternoon at The Depot at Cleburne Station. The loss knocks LCU into an elimination game Friday at noon.
 
Giselbach's home run broke a 6-6 tie in the seventh inning to help the Hilltoppers take a 9-6 lead.  It marked the second time in the game SEU had a three-run lead, but they would not surrender their second lead in the game.
 
Both starting pitchers had trouble locating the strike zone in the first inning. Chaps starting pitcher Ricky Contreras struck out the opening batter of the game, but then surrendered a pair of bloop-singles and walked three of the next four batters. Combined with a wild pitch in the mix, it led led to a three-run first inning for SEU.  Hilltoppers starting pitcher Ballard Infante had the same troubles, walking four batters and was pulled after facing six batters. The Chaps had the bases loaded with one out, but would only produce one run in the inning, as Chase Simmons was walked with the bases loaded. Stuart Springer, making his first relief outing of the season, came out of the bullpen to register the final out of the inning.
 
Blake Alexander took Contreras deep with a solo home run in the third inning to extend the SEU lead to 4-1. The Chaps cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning with a RBI-single by Chase Simmons followed by a sacrifice fly by Brandon Urquizo. It led to five straight runs for the Chaps, who had a three-run fifth inning for their first lead of the game at 6-4. Josh Narvaiz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to start the scoring in the fifth inning, and Jaime Bustamante followed with a two-run single.
 
Contreras held the Hilltoppers to one hit over a span of 11 batters in the middle innings, but he was unable to carry the rhythm into the seventh inning. SEU opened the seventh inning with four straight singles. Romeo Cortina's single tied the game at 6-6. He marked the final batter Contreras faced. He was replaced by Nathan Dockery, who was able to get Gable Whitacre into striking out, but was unable to retire Giselbach.
 
The Hilltoppers added to the lead with a two-run eighth inning and Giselbach's second sacrifice fly of the game in the ninth inning for a 12-6 lead. LCU took advantage of two SEU errors in the ninth inning with a double from Bustamante to close the game with a pair of runs in the inning.
 
Austin Weaver pitched the final five innings for SEU and held LCU to two hits. Bustamante's hit in the ninth inning ended a string of 17 consecutive LCU batters that went hitless. The freshman improved to 4-0 on the season with the win. Contreras suffered the loss (9-2), allowing a season high seven earned runs off nine hits in six innings. Dockery allowed four runs off four hits in two innings pitched in relief.
 
Giselbach was 1-for-3 at the plate with the five runs-batted-in. Jacob Vasquez went 4-for-5 for SEU, who produced 15 hits in the game. Bustamante went 4-for-5 with a pair of runs-batted-in for the Chaps. Simmons (two RBI) and Tony Reyes each went 2-for-4 to join Bustamante with multi-hit performances for the Chaps.
 
LCU (36-13) falls to 0-3 all-time in Heartland Conference Tournament play. They will play St. Mary's Friday at noon. The meeting will mark the seventh game between the two teams this season (LCU is 6-0 this season against StMU). While the losing team is eliminated, the winner of the game advances to a 7 p.m. elimination game against the losing team of the match-up pitting St. Edward's (31-18) and Arkansas Fort Smith.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
0-for-1 | Ryan Rogers had an interesting 0-for-1 performance at the plate, as he walked twice and was plunked twice more. He had only been hit twice the entire season before Thursday's hit-by-pitches.
1-for-5 | LCU was 1-for-5 with the bases loaded, leading to 12 runners left stranded in the game.
2 | Despite allowing 12 runs, LCU was able to prevent the leadoff batter from reaching base seven times, as SEU was 2-for-9 getting the leadoff batter on base.
4-1 | The loss marked LCU's first neutral site loss of the season (4-1).
7-4 | The two teams combined for 11 walks in the game. Seven of the walks came in the first inning and four occurred after the first inning.
9 | LCU has allowed 26 home runs on the season and nine have been hit by SEU against them this season.
15 | Of SEU's 15 hits, 10 followed the sixth inning.
32-4 | LCU fell for the fourth time (out of 36 times) when leading after the sixth inning.