AUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward's softball team used a 12-hit attack and some solid pitching to defeat St. Mary's, 5-1, in the second round of the Heartland Conference Tournament Friday morning. The victory sends the Hilltoppers to the championship game on Saturday.

St. Edward's (28-19) started the scoring in the second inning when Kendall Lucas led off the inning with a double to right field. Brianna Bozon followed with a single down the right field line to score Lucas and put the Hilltoppers ahead, 1-0.

St. Mary's (33-18) tried to respond in the bottom of the second inning as they loaded the bases with one out. Hilltopper starting pitcher Sarah Debrow settled down and struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

Debrow would strand a St. Mary's runner in each of the next three innings to keep the score at 1-0.

In the sixth inning, the Hilltoppers got some timely hitting. Marissa Thome reached on a one-out single. After Jenny Varteressian got on by an error by the Rattler shortstop, Lucas singled home Thome to make it 2-0. Bozon followed with another RBI-single to score pinch runner Salena Acosta. Karina Robledo would add an RBI-single of her own and the Rattlers would commit another error to score yet another run for St. Edward's. The four-run outburst would increase the lead to 5-0.

Debrow would allow one run to the Rattlers in the sixth inning but retired the final five batters in a row to preserve the victory. Debrow allowed the one run on six hits, while walking four and striking out five to improve to 11-6 on the season.

The Hilltopper victory comes after St. Edward's was swept by St. Mary's last weekend in the regular season ending series.

St. Edward's will advance to championship game Saturday at noon. The Hilltoppers will take on St. Mary's once again as they defeated UT-Permian Basin in an elimination game, 7-2. In earlier action UT-Permian Basin downed Texas A&M-International, 2-0 to stay alive to face St. Mary's.