SUGAR LAND, Texas -- The LeTourneau baseball team rallied from a seven-run deficit to tie the game in the ninth inning, but host St. Thomas had a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, 8-7, in game one of the SCAC series on Thursday night.

LeTourneau (13-16, 10-9 SCAC) trailed 7-0 entering the eighth inning but scored five runs in that inning and two more in the ninth to even the score at 7-7. St. Thomas (11-18, 10-12 SCAC) got a walk-off single from Sam Lampson in the ninth to take the win.

The YellowJackets were held to only two hits through the first seven innings by St. Thomas starter Armando Rocha. In the eighth, the host Celts went to the bullpen and LeTourneau took advantage.

Jack Kale doubled home Seth Hudson -- who singled to start the inning -- to get LeTourneau on the board in the eighth. Cody Brady followed with an RBI single and an error by St. Thomas allowed Kale to score to make it 7-3. Later in the inning, Jonah McDaniel singled home Brady and a Zach Baker sacrifice fly made it 7-5.

LeTourneau then tied the game with two runs in the ninth. Brady put down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Austin Wiederhold to score and Chris Savage tied the game with his one-out single that plated Kale.

In the bottom of the ninth, St. Thomas got a leadoff walk and then a bunt single from Rey Izaguirre before Lampson took a 3-2 pitch and delivered a walk-off single to left-center field.

Hudson went 2-for-4 with a run scored as LeTourneau had seven hits. Brady was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

Clayton Holt went five innings in his start with seven strikeouts. Brooks Bishop tossed a scoreless eighth inning to keep LeTourneau within striking distance. Cruz Cox (0-1) picked up the loss.

Rocha went seven innings and tallied 10 strikeouts for St. Thomas. Jacob Neely (1-1) got the win in relief. Izaguirre was 4-for-5 with one RBI, while Lampson was 2-for-5 with three RBIs.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau and St. Thomas finish the series with a doubleheader on Friday (1 p.m.).

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