Our Lady of the Lake dropped a tightly contested matchup to Huston-Tillotson, falling 5-4 despite outhitting the Rams 9-7.
The Saints generated steady offense throughout the game, collecting nine hits and putting pressure on Huston-Tillotson pitching. Joshua Milton and Benjamin Hovda each drove in a run, while Christian Martinez provided a spark off the bench with a pinch-hit double and later came around to score.
Jack Kalisky also crossed the plate for OLLU, and Diego Zuniga and Hovda each recorded multi-hit performances to lead the Saints at the plate. OLLU showed aggressiveness on baserunning as well, swiping three bases in the contest.
Huston-Tillotson answered with timely hitting, scoring five runs on seven hits. Trey Garza led the way with two RBIs, while Noah Alvarez, Jaden Corzine and Kendall Brown each contributed a run batted in. The Rams capitalized on key opportunities late to pull ahead.
On the mound, OLLU received a strong start from Josh Ruiz, who allowed just two hits and no earned runs over three innings while striking out four. The Saints used a bullpen by committee the rest of the way, with Ethan Garza, Matthew Sanchez, Xavior Salazar and Nolan Nicholson combining to cover the final five innings. Sanchez was charged with the loss after allowing two runs in his inning of work.
Huston-Tillotson starter Bryce Sanchez earned the win, limiting OLLU to one earned run over six innings, while Adrian German secured the save with three innings of relief.
The Saints will be back in action this weekend as they will travel to take on defending national champions in LSU-Shreveport.