After opening the season on the road with a 4-1 record at the Division II Spring Invitational, the St. Edward's softball team hosts Metro State University Denver in a doubleheader on Wednesday, Feb. 8. However, the teams will play at nearby Concordia University due to the weather.
The Hilltoppers put together a string of impressive victories in their season-opening weekend, defeating No. 13-ranked Augustana and Arkansas Tech after Arkansas Tech – the reigning four-time Great American Conference champions – defeated No. 18 Angelo State. St. Edward's also defeated Pittsburg State and Cal Poly Humboldt.
"We saw how resilient the team was with the added adversity of missing some practices prior to the weekend. They built some great team chemistry and really supported each other," St. Edward's head softball coach Leah Glasgow says. " I was excited to see their energy throughout the weekend. The defense was extremely steady last weekend and I hope we can continue with that this week with some strong pitching."
St. Edward's won on the strength of its defense (.993 fielding percentage), aggressive baserunning (16 stolen bases), and clutch hitting from sophomore MEGAN MORRIS.
Cadie Bell Currie was stellar over the weekend, going 2-0 in three appearances with an 11-strikeout performance against Pittsburg State and a complete-game shutout against Arkansas Texas, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts.
MSU-Denver was also at the Division II Spring Invitational, opening the season with wins over Texas A&M International and Texas Woman's before suffering three consecutive losses to No. 3 Texas-Tyler, Oklahoma Christian, and No. 18 Angelo State.
The Roadrunners return three all-conference players from last season, including sophomore catcher Jaiden Geist, sophomore pitcher/designated player Audrey Burt, and junior outfielder Kami Grammerstorf. Additionally, shortstop Hanna DiFabio set program freshman records for runs (47), hits (71), and total bases (126) last year, and junior Shelby Robb looks to recapture her All-American form from her first season after missing 17 games at the end of last season due to injury.
MSU-Denver had lively bats over the weekend, with three starters hitting over .400. Alexia Boring posted a .462 batting average in 13 appearances at the plate, scoring three runs. Burt and Grammerstorf each hit .500, combining for 15 hits, eight RBIs, and six runs scored.
"Metro is a strong team that plays both sides of the ball well," Glasgow explains. "They hit well as a team over last weekend so we will need our pitching staff to come out strong."
Burt took most of the reps in the pitcher's circle, throwing three complete games with a 1-2 record and a 3.98 ERA, allowing 19 hits while striking out 19 and walking seven.
"We are looking forward to getting back on the field," Glasgow says. "This early in the season, the team is excited every time they get on the field with good competition."
St. Edward's and Metro State play at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The Hilltoppers will remain at home over the weekend to play Regis.
