GEORGETOWN, Texas – St. Thomas Celts baseball team traveled to Georgetown to open their SCAC conference schedule against Southwestern, splitting the doubleheader with a dominant 12-1 win in Game 1 and a nail-biter 8-7 loss in Game 2. The results move the Celts to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Game 1: UST 12, Southwestern 1

The Celts came out swinging in the first game, making an early statement with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Tyler Mills scored on a walk, while Alex Trinh and AJ Gonzales advanced on the play. Ryan Ratajczak followed with a single to center field, driving in Trinh to extend the lead.

St. Thomas added another run in the second inning when Trinh singled to right field, allowing Eduardo Tamez to score and making it 4-0. After a scoreless third inning, the Celts pushed their lead to 5-0 in the top of the fourth. Southwestern responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Celts' offense exploded in the sixth inning, scoring three more runs to take an 8-1 lead. Trinh and Mills both scored on a combination of errors and productive outs, while Gonzales and Gabe Garner contributed with key at-bats.

The Celts sealed the game in the top of the eighth, plating four more runs to secure the 12-1 victory. The offensive outburst was supported by strong pitching and defense, as the Celts held Southwestern to just one run on the day.

Game 2: UST 7, Southwestern 8

The second game was a back-and-forth battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats. After a scoreless first inning, the Celts struck first in the top of the second when Ratajczak singled to left field, driving in a run to make it 1-0. The Pirates tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, but St. Thomas responded in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs to take a 3-1 lead. Trinh and Sam Lampson both crossed the plate to give the Celts momentum.

Southwestern fought back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to take a 4-3 lead. However, the Celts tied the game in the top of the sixth when Lampson doubled to left field, allowing Trinh to score.

St. Thomas regained the lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs to make it 7-4. But the Pirates refused to go quietly, tying the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth. In a dramatic finish, Southwestern walked it off in the bottom of the ninth, securing an 8-7 victory and splitting the doubleheader.

Up Next

The Celts will look to refocus as they travel to Shreveport to take on Centenary in a three-game series from February 28 to March 1. Follow all the action and updates by following @USTCeltbaseball on Instagram.