SEGUIN, Texas – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas concluded their three-game weekend series at Texas Lutheran with a doubleheader Saturday.
The host Bulldogs swept the twinbill, winning game one 7-2 before taking the series finale by a score of 11-9.
The losses dropped UST (11-16) into third place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings with a 5-4 league record, one game ahead of both Centenary (La.) and Schreiner. Texas Lutheran (18-7, 8-1) are tied atop the SCAC standings with Trinity.
This weekend, the Celts will again face one of the SCAC's top teams when they open a three-game series at Trinity (16-7, 8-1) in San Antonio. The series opener will be played Friday, April 8, with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.; the teams will conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday, April 9.
GAME ONE: TLU 7, Celts 2
The Celts jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before TLU responded with seven unanswered runs between the second and fifth innings to take Saturday's opener.
Tristin Pitkin put the Celts on the scoreboard in the top of the first with an RBI single that scored Cameron McClure from second. McClure reached base with a one-out double.
Kyle Bearden's sacrifice fly in the top of the second that scored Knight Newcomb gave the Celts a 2-0 lead. Newcomb and Leo Galvan both went 2-for-4 with two singles in the game.
The Bulldogs tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, and then scored two runs apiece in each of the next two innings before adding their final run in the fifth.
TLU's Brendan Beard pitched five innings of relief to pick up the win for the Bulldogs. UST starter Chris Parsons (3-3) took the loss for the Celts; Luke Sebesta pitched three innings of scoreless for St. Thomas, striking out three batters.
GAME TWO: TLU 11, Celts 9
The Celts erased an early five-run deficit with six runs in the fourth inning before TLU prevailed in a back-and-forth contest.
Dylan Lamb went 3-for-5 with a home run, two triples, and three RBIs while also scoring twice to lead the Celts at the plate. Jason Brown also went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, while Jacob Carriere went 2-for-4 for the Celts.
After falling behind 4-0, Lamb put the Celts on the board with an RBI triple down the left-field line that scored Bearden.
Trailing 6-1 in the fourth, the Celts rallied with three consecutive RBI hits from Lance Khan, Noah Martinez, and Brown. Martinez and Brown would later score on wild pitches before Lamb capped the inning with a solo home run that gave the Celts a 7-6 lead.
After TLU regained an 8-7 lead, the Celts tied the game in the eighth with Lamb's second triple that scored Brown. Lamb didn't have to wait at third base for long as he came home on Galvan's double.
The Bulldogs responded with three runs in the ninth inning that was partially aided by two Celt errors.
Isai Campos (2-0) earned the win for the Bulldogs, while Caleb Desilets (0-1) took the loss for the Celts despite pitching three solid innings of relief and striking out for batters.
