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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – St. Edward's senior KACI OLSON was 5-for-7 from the plate but that was not enough as the Hilltoppers fell twice on the first day of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament. St. Edward's dropped a tough 5-4 decision to Texas A&M-International followed by a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Oklahoma Christian. The two losses knock the Hilltoppers out of the double-elimination tourney and ends the season.

Game 1: Texas A&M-International 5, St. Edward's 4
TAMU-International (24-33) jumped on the Hilltoppers early in the first two innings. The Dustdevils did it all with two outs as they pushed across three runs in the first inning and two more in the second for a 5-0 lead.
 
St. Edward's (26-24) did score a run in the bottom of the first as KACI OLSON singled to left field with one out. MORGAN DUFOUR followed with an RBI-double to the gap in left field to plate Olson.
 
After the second inning, neither team was able to break the scoring threshold for the next three innings. The Hilltoppers' best chance came in the third inning, as they loaded the bases, but couldn't get the big hit.
 
Finally, in the sixth inning, St. Edward's started its rally. KAYLA APPLEBY started things off with a single to right field. Pinch hitter SHELBI ROOHMS singled to left field. BRITTNEY BRYSON was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. MEGAN HOFFMAN singled in the first run as she ripped a ball through the hole on the left side. After a fielder's choice, Olson singled to shortstop to bring in another run and make it 5-3. A bases-loaded walk to Dufour made it 5-4. That is all the Hilltoppers would get after another fielder's choice ended the inning.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hilltopper got a runner on but came up empty to end the game.
 
Game 2: Oklahoma Christian 3, St. Edward's 1
St. Edward's looked to be the aggressor in the first inning. Olson reached on a one-out single, and Dufour launched a ball to the wall in left. The Eagle leftfielder made the catch up against the wall and Olson was called out for not retreating to the base properly to end the inning.
 
It was Oklahoma Christian (27-25) who got on the scoreboard first, but it was with a little help from the Hilltoppers. After the leadoff hitter for the Eagles reached on an error, OC was able to plate two unearned runs with a pair of two-out hits.
 
The next two innings saw the Hilltoppers threaten with two runners on base in each. St. Edward's couldn't come up with its own two-out hit.
 
In the fifth inning, Olson wasn't about to let this be her last game as a Hilltopper. She worked a two-out walk and Dufour followed with one of her own. Bryson was called on to pinch hit. The freshman delivered with a single to right field to score Olson and cut the lead to 2-1.
 
Oklahoma Christian would get that run back in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run.
 
During the last two innings, St. Edward's showed its resiliency, as they put two runners on in the sixth inning and another runner in the seventh. The game would end on a tough-luck lineout double play.
 
For the day, Olson was the star at the plate. The senior capped off her career by going 5-for-7 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
The Hilltoppers finish the season with a 26-24 record. The future looks bright for the team as they only lose two seniors off this year's team.
 
St. Edward's has advanced to the Heartland Conference Tournament every year since the tournament started in 2001.