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THE RUNDOWN
AUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward's softball team closed Thursday's doubleheader with a walk-off victory to force a split with Newman at Diane Daniels Field in Heartland Conference play. The Jets (13-35, 7-20) edged the Hilltoppers (6-40, 5-21) in game one 2-0 before KAYLA APPLEBY's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth delivered a 4-3 win for the home team in game two.
 
OLIVIA BURDICK caught the short end of a pitcher's duel in game one for SEU tossing seven innings and only allowing two runs on four hits. However, Newman's Chantel Purcella needed just 89 pitches to toss a two-hitter and shut out the Hilltoppers.
 
In game two Purcella went back to the circle for Newman and stifled SEU for six innings and the Jets led 3-0 before a three-run seventh for the Hilltoppers. ASHLEY NASSY's RBI groundout cut the Jets' lead to 3-1 and from there, SEU's Kari Rodriguez belted her ninth home run of the season with two outs and a runner on to knot the score at three.

In relief of Purcella, Nique Payne pitched a scoreless eighth before the Hilltoppers' DEJA LEE singled to leadoff the bottom of the ninth, Nassy was hit by a pitch, both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, and after a Rodriguez pop up Appleby singled home Lee for the winning run on the first pitch of the at bat.
 
The win for SEU ensured that Newman's late run for the fifth and final spot in the Heartland Conference tournament was over. The Jets needed to win their last four games after Thursday's game one win and for Rogers State to fall in all of its final eight games.
 
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
• OLIVIA BURDICK tossed the 15^th complete game of her career; the junior allowed only two runs on four hits while striking out five in a losing effort.
 
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
• SEU's conference win was the 200^th victory in Heartland Conference play for the Hilltoppers program.
• KAYLA APPLEBY recorded the 27^th multiple hit game of her career (sixth of the season) with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate including a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
• Kari Rodriguez's home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, a two-run shot, was her ninth of the season and tied her for ninth all-time on the SEU single-season home run list (9; Karen Varteressian, 2006; Jennifer Hollas, 2006; Catie Carney, 2015).
• Rodriguez's 2-for-5 outing at the plate gave her 13 career multi-hit games, her two RBIs gave nine career games with two or more, and her two RBIs helped her surpass 30 career RBIs (31).
• SAMI WILLIAMS was 2-for-4 at the plate to give the senior 22 career games (eight in 2018) with at least two hits.
• KEELY FRAZIER picked up her team-leading third win of the season in relief of REAGAN CARTER.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
13 – SEU junior Kari Rodriguez has 13 extra-base hits in her last 15 games.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Hilltoppers and Jets close the series Friday with a single game at Noon.