2015 HC All-Tournament TeamSAN ANTONIO, Texas - The St. Edward's Softball team fell to St. Mary's, 2-1, in eight innings Saturday afternoon at The Park. The loss gave St. Mary's the Heartland Conference Tournament title, while St. Edward's earned the runner-up spot.
Thanks to Hilltopper starter
SARAH DEBROW and Rattler Vianna Gutierrez, the game was scoreless, with just two hits from St. Edward's and one from St. Mary's, until the bottom of the fifth inning.
St. Edward's reached on a leadoff error by the St. Mary's shortstop. Pinch runner
CYDNEY ERVIN advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a single from
KACI OLSON. She would score on a fielding error by the Rattler second baseman. They would leave two runners in scoring position, as they the last two batters stuck out and flied out.
St. Mary's evened it up with a homer to right field from Nicole Sardelich to open up the sixth inning. In a pitcher's duel, the 1-1 tie stood as the game went extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, St. Mary's broke through with a double from Sardelich, earning an RBI as LeeAnn Campos scored. Rattler pitcher Vianna Gutierrez Touchtone finished off the Hilltoppers in the final inning, allowing no hits.
St. Mary's garners the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA South Central Regional, while St. Edward's will have to wait and see if they obtain an at-large bid from the selection committee.
