OKLAHOMA CITY – St. Edward's softball scored a season-high eight runs against the No. 19-ranked team in the country, splitting the day's doubleheader in a three-game series against the Oklahoma Christian Eagles.
Game 1: St. Edward's 8, Oklahoma Christian 6
St. Edward's scored seven unanswered runs and stranded four Oklahoma Christian runners over the final four innings to come from behind in an 8-6 victory.
It was an ominous start for the Hilltoppers, who surrendered four runs in the first inning. Oklahoma Christian's first four hitters reached safely, opening with a hit batter, throwing error, and walk to load the bases with no outs.
Starting pitcher MCKENNA LEAMON's early struggles continued with a wild pitch to score Brooklin Bain, followed by a two-RBI double to right-center from Aaliyah Brown. Leamon settled in after that, striking out Kylie Janzen and inducing a ground out from Kristen Whitehouse. Though, she did surrender an RBI single from Chloe Woodward before striking out Hamilton to get out of the inning.
St. Edward's responded with a run in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out on a leadoff single from ALEXIS MASSIE, a walk, and a hit batter to set up KATIE DILLON's RBI single to left field. Brown answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI double to left field for the 6-1 lead.
ELLA HUTZLER sparked the Hilltoppers with a one-out, solo blast in the third inning. Massie and SLOANE HILL followed with back-to-back singles, and after LAUREN HOYT popped out to first, YVONNE CASTILLO singled to load the bases. Dillon followed with her second RBI single, finding the gap through the right side, and ARIANNA VIDALES tied the game on a three-RBI triple to deep right-center.
MEGAN MORRIS led the fourth inning off with a single up the middle, then stole second and third to get into scoring position. Massie drove her in to give the Hilltoppers the lead and later scored an insurance run on a throwing error.
Oklahoma Christian threatened in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back walks, but RENNA TOOMEY replaced Leamon and got the final two outs to escape the inning unscathed.
The Hilltopper defense produced two consecutive outs to start the bottom of the seventh before Woodward hit a triple off the right-field wall. Her momentum, however, carried her past third base, and Massie tagged her out on a throw from Dillon in right field to end the game.
Game 2: Oklahoma Christian 4, St. Edward's 1
St. Edward's committed three errors, surrendering three unearned runs in a 4-1 loss to Oklahoma Christian.
The Eagles plated a run in the bottom of the first when St. Edward's starting pitcher CADIE BELLE CURRIE (4-2) hit Bain to lead off the first. Bain then stole to second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the play, later scoring an unearned run on an infield single.
Hutzler tied the game with her second home run of the day, hitting a leadoff blast in the top of the second.
Oklahoma Christian retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, turning a leadoff hit batter into an RBI single from Kelsey Gammage.
St. Edward's loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth inning, but Hutzler flied out to shallow center field to end the inning. The Hilltoppers committed a throwing error to start the bottom of the inning, leading to two unearned runs and a 4-1 Oklahoma Christian lead.
St. Edward's is now 8-6 after the doubleheader split and will wrap up its three-game series against Oklahoma Christian (9-2) tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.
