ROUND ROCK, Texas — St. Thomas Baseball team kicked off the SCAC Championship at Dell Diamond with a gutsy performance in Game 1, pushing top-seeded Trinity to the limit in an 11-inning thriller that spanned two days. Despite a dramatic comeback to tie the game in the ninth, the Celts ultimately fell 10-9 in walk-off fashion.

St. Thomas took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rey Izaguirre crossed home plate on a passed ball. Trinity responded with runs in the second and third to go ahead, and later added to their lead, stretching it to 8-3 by the eighth inning.

Down to their final three outs, the Celts mounted an incredible rally in the top of the ninth. RBI singles from Ryan Ratajczak and Jarod Smith brought the score to 8-5. With two outs, the Celts stayed composed and capitalized on Trinity miscues—scoring three more runs, including RBI hits from Izaguirre and Tyler Mills—to knot the game at 8-8.

The contest was suspended due to weather after eight innings and resumed the following morning.

In the top of the 11th, UST took a 9-8 lead when Alex Trinh scored on a muffed throw at first. However, Trinity answered in the bottom half with a walk-off double to escape with the win.

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Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Celts showed grit and resilience that could carry them deeper into the tournament. They await the loser of the Concordia/McMurry matchup and will return to the diamond for an elimination game at 3:15 p.m.