SAN ANGELO, Texas — Arkansas-Fort Smith survived the longest weather delay of its NCAA Division II era and the St. Edward’s Hilltoppers on Saturday to stay alive in the NCAA Division II South Central Region Baseball Tournament.
UAFS beat fellow Heartland Conference member St. Edward’s 15-12 in a game that was played over a span of two days and more than 25 hours, ousting the Hilltoppers from the double-elimination tournament.
The Lions (34-21) will play the loser of Saturday’s late game between No. 2 Colorado Mesa and No. 4 Lubbock Christian at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at 1st Community Credit Union Field in San Angelo, Texas.
St. Edward’s, which finished fourth in the Heartland Conference in the regular season and won the conference tournament, went 0-2 in the region tournament and finished the season 33-19.
The game originally began at noon on Friday, but the game was halted with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning because of lighting in the San Angelo area. The game briefly resumed long enough for UAFS to record the second out before lightning again forced a second delay.
After about an 11-hour delay, tournament officials met around 10 p.m. and decided to suspend the game until 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, pushing the tournament back one day.
With Hilltoppers right fielder Romeo Cortina at second base with two outs, UAFS reliever Hayden Harvey returned to the mound when play resumed on Saturday. Harvey, who had relieved Evan Dodd just before the first weather delay began on Friday, got shortstop Blake Alexander to ground out to third base to end the inning.
Hilltoppers reliever Jacob Vasquez retired the Lions in order in the top of the ninth, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Harvey then retired the Hilltoppers in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his first save in as many opportunities this season.
Two big innings were the difference for the Lions in what turned into a slugfest.
UAFS trailed 8-4 going into the top of the third inning before scoring seven runs on five hits and taking advantage of two Hilltoppers errors.
Catcher Dylan Hurt had a one-out, two-run double, third baseman Brandan Warner had a one-out, RBI single, right fielder Logan Allen drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, shortstop Edward Ibarra had a two-out, RBI single and first baseman Kasey Cooper had a two-out, two-run single – his second single of the inning.
Leading 11-9 going into the top of the sixth inning, UAFS added four more runs, including what turned into the go-ahead run.
Hurt had a one-out, two-run single with the bases loaded, Warner drove in another run on a fielder’s choice and Allen had a two-out, RBI single as UAFS extended its lead to 15-9.
UAFS had 13 total hits, including six for extra bases, and all but two Lions had at least one hit. Left fielder Dion Williams was 3 for 6 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs, Ibarra was 2 for 6 with a double and two RBIs, Hurt was 2 for 5 with a double and four RBIs, center fielder Jace Pitchford was 1 for 4 with a double, Warner was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and Allen was 1 for 2 with two RBIs.
Hilltoppers reliever Tanner Lawson (3-3), who was the third of seven St. Edward’s pitchers, suffered the loss, allowing four unearned runs on five hits with one strikeout over just one inning.
St. Edward’s collected 13 hits, including six for extra bases, off four of the five UAFS pitchers.
Left fielder TJ Giselbach was 2 for 5 with a double, a home run and five RBIs, center fielder William Hairston was 3 for 4 with a home run and one RBI, Vasquez was 2 for 5 with a home run and one RBI, Whitacre was 1 for 3 with a triple and one RBI and Alexander was 2 for 3 with a double and one RBI and third baseman Derek Ramos was 2 for 4.
UAFS reliever Nick Yoning (4-1) earned his second win in as many outings. The senior, who normally is the Lions’ closer, allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks and one strikeout over five innings of long relief.
Harvey, who suffered the loss in the Lions’ tournament opener against No. 5-ranked and No. 1-seeded Angelo State on Thursday, earned his first save of the season, allowing no runs on no hits with one strikeout over 1 2/3 innings.
