CONROE, Texas – St. Edward's softball split its season-opening doubleheader, falling 9-1 to No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma before winning a 3-2 pitcher's duel against Pittsburg State behind a strong performance from junior pitcher CADIE BELLE CURRIE. 

"After being unable to practice for a few days before the tournament, it was great to get on the field today. The team showed great resiliency after the first game,"  St. Edward's head softball coach Leah Glasgow says. "Our win against Pitt State was a great team effort. We made some outstanding defensive plays, and Cadie Currie pitched a phenomenal game."

Central Oklahoma 9, St. Edward's 1

St. Edward's hung tough with the eighth-ranked team in the nation before Central Oklahoma broke through with a monster fourth inning to put the game out of reach. 

MCKENNA LEAMON was solid in the pitcher's circle early, striking out two in the first inning and limiting the Bronchos to an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the second. 

The Hilltoppers tied the game in the third top of the third. JERZIE PELHAM hit a leadoff single to centerfield. Then, after LAUREN HOYT went down swinging, HAILEY SONKA was hit by a pitch. MEGAN MORRIS followed with a fielder's choice with the out at second to put runners on the corners with two outs. Finally, ARIANNA VIDALES capitalized with an infield RBI single. 

Central Oklahoma's Emily Deramus responded with a two-RBI double to left field in the bottom of the inning. 

Central Oklahoma's bats came alive in the fourth, opening the inning with three consecutive singles before Tatum Long nailed a two-RBI double to left center, ending Leamon's afternoon with KYLEN PADGETT replacing her. Padgett hit the first hitter she faced, then surrendered back-to-back singles, scoring three more runs. Jacee Minter knocked in another run on an RBI double before the Hilltoppers got out of the inning. 

Rivas pitched all five innings for Central Oklahoma, striking out five and limiting St. Edward's to two hits. Deramus led the Bronchos with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, driving in four runs and scoring another. 

St. Edward's 3, Pittsburg State 2

CADIE BELLE CURRIE shook off a rough start to post a career-high 11 strikeouts in a classic pitcher's duel with Pittsburg State's Lilli Weir that ended with a walk-off single from sophomore MEGAN MORRIS. 

Currie surrendered three consecutive singles to start the game, then walked Pellegrino with bases loaded to yield the game's first run. After that, St. Edward's junior pitcher settled down, striking out back-to-back hitters before Trochim flew out to right to end the inning. 

St. Edward's transfer GABI LOPEZ drove in Alexis Massi with an infield single, picking up the RBI in her first at-bat for the Hilltoppers. KATIE DILLON gave the Hilltoppers the lead with an RBI single to third, scoring Yvone Casti. 

Currie retired the side in order in the third, striking out the first two hitters, stranded one runner with a strikeout in the fourth, and struck out the side after surrendering a leadoff single in the top of the fifth inning. 

Keelah Griffith hit a one-out triple in the sixth inning to spark Pittsburg State, followed by Currie hitting Kadyn Trochim to put runners in the corners. Macy Rocha pinch-hit for Gracie Sullivan and hit a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game before Currie escaped the inning. 

Both teams left runners stranded in the sixth, and Currie struck out two to leave one stranded in the top of the seventh. 

Lopez opened the bottom of the seven with a leadoff single down the right-field line. Then, Hoyt advanced Lopez with a bunt, putting a Hilltopper in scoring position with one out. Next, Dillon grounded out to third, advancing Lopez, and Morris drove in the winning run with a single through the left side. 

Morris was 2-for-4 with the RBI. Lopez hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. 

St. Edward's opens the season 1-1 and will face No. 13 Augustana tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., followed by a 3:30 p.m. game against Cal Poly Humboldt.