AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's senior righthander BRANNON EASTERLING needed only 64 pitches to notch his first career no-hitter Sunday afternoon as the Hilltoppers swept Fisher College, 1-0 and 12-1.
Easterling (3-3) was outstanding, allowing just one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch. He struck out 10 of the 22 batters he faced.
Fisher College (4-4) also had an impressive performance on the mound as Victor Mendez allowed just one run on five hits, while walking two and striking out six batters.
St. Edward's (14-6) got a runner on in each of the first five innings, but left them stranded each time. It wasn't until the sixth inning that the Hilltoppers broke through. DYLAN WATTS led off the inning with an infield single. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, JOHN ALEXANDER came up big with a single back up the middle to score Watts for the only run of the game.
"Brannon has flirted with a couple of these over the last two years," head coach Rob Penders said. "It was great to finally see him accomplish this incredible feat. Our defense has not played particularly well behind him this year, but today we did. I'm happy for Brannon because this is something that nobody can take away from him. His performance set the tone for our pitchers in the second game. We got great contributions across the board and it all started with Brannon."
Game two was a different story. St. Edward's sent 15 men to the plate in the first inning, pounding out six hits and scoring nine runs.
The Hilltoppers pushed across two more runs in the third inning, one in the eighth inning, and the pitching staff took it from there.
COLLIN SHERROD (4-0) allowed only one hit in 5.0 innings of work, while walking two and striking out five. CAMERON STANTON, VINNY WHITENIGHT, JOSH GUERRAand IAN JONES split up the last four innings and allowed just one hit.
RANSOM LALONDE reached base in all six plate appearances in game two. The senior was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. He was also hit by pitch three times to tie his own school record that he holds with four other players.