AUSTIN, Texas – A two-out error and protest gave St. Edward's softball a second chance. With it, the Hilltoppers' bats came to life to sweep its doubleheader against Western New Mexico to clinch its first conference series of the season. 
 
Game 1: St. Edward's 7, Western New Mexico 6
 
SLOANE HILL drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth, and St. Edward's closed the game with a 6-4-3 double play in the seventh to finish a late-game rally for a 7-6 win over Western New Mexico. 
 
St. Edward's starter KYLEN PADGETT was solid to start in the pitcher's circle, retiring the side in order in the first, but struggled with some control issues in the second after picking up two outs with one on, walking Hannah Martinez and hitting Kennedy Jarrard and Laryssa Morales back-to-back to surrender one run before striking out Adlai Alvidrez to escape the inning with bases loaded. 
 
Western New Mexico plated another two-out run in the fourth with three consecutive singles capped off by Morales' RBI single through the right side to score Martinez. Once again, Padgett maintained her composure, striking out Alvidrez to end the inning. 
 
SLOANE HILL opened the fourth with a leadoff double to left-center. LAUREN HOYT followed with a bunt for a single, then Kamerynn Cordova hit Morris to load the bases with no outs. 
 
AUDRI CASTILLO put St. Edward's on the scoreboard with an RBI single to left-center, but Western New Mexico caught St. Edward's baserunners in a rundown between second and third, then at home for the double play, killing the momentum and leaving the Hilltoppers with just a single run. 
 
Western New Mexico seized the advantage and scored three more runs in the fifth, getting singles out of two of its first three hitters, with Cordova driving in Ana Armijo after Padgett struck out Jenna Peters. After Ramona Fossum struck out, Padgett walked Kaylee Hickman, and Martinez drove in Cordova with a single to leave runners in the corners. The Mustangs executed a double steal to score a fifth run before Jarrard popped out to second. 
 
ELLA HUTZLER gave St. Edward's a lifeline with a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, and a throwing error on a Hill grounder pulled Western New Mexico's first baseman off the bag. The first-base umpire called Hill out on a tag, but after protests, the officials gathered and ruled her safe. 
 
LAUREN HOYT took advantage with an RBI single up the middle, and Hill scored on a wild pitch. MEGAN MORRIS followed with a two-RBI single to left field to bring St. Edward's to within 5-4. 
 
Morales opened the top of the sixth with a double to right, Armijo advanced her with a one-out flyout to right, and Cordova reached first on an error that scored a sixth Western New Mexico run. 
 
HANNAH BOETTCHER hit a leadoff single in the sixth, JERZIE PELHAM pinch-hit and delivered a clutch single to right-center, and ARIANNA VIDALES bunted for a single to load the bases. Western New Mexico went to its bullpen, turning to Hamar, and KATIE DILLON delivered a two-RBI single through the right side to tie the game. After Hutzler went down swinging, Hill drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to right field. 
 
Padgett struck out Hickman to start the seventh, then surrendered a single through the left side to Martinez before Jarrard grounded into a double play to end the game. 
 
Game 2: St. Edward's 6, Western New Mexico 2
 
St. Edward's softball strung together six runs on 10 hits and limited Western New Mexico to a run each in the sixth and seventh innings to sweep the doubleheader with a 6-2 victory. 
 
The Hilltoppers scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Dillon hit a one-out single to center field and stole second, then Hutzler and Hill singled on back-to-back bunts, with Hill scoring Dillon. After Hoyt grounded into a fielder's choice with the lead out at third, Morris singled for a bunt that scored a run on a throwing error before Hoyt was thrown out at home. 
 
Castillo hit a leadoff single up the middle, Boettcher moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Pelham singled up the middle to put runners in the corners to set up Vidales' RBI groundout to third for the 3-0 lead. 
 
St. Edward's scored three runs on three hits and an error in the fifth, doing all of its damage besides Dillon reaching on a one-out error with two outs. Hill hit an RBI double to center, then Hoyt scored her with a double to right-center. 
 
Western New Mexico replaced starting pitcher Madison Kloepper with Labraida Tenorio, and Morris welcomed her with an RBI single to center for the 6-0 lead. 
 
LISETTE URQUIDEZ and the Hilltopper defense were nearly flawless for most of the game. St. Edward's retired the first eight hitters it faced, retired the side in order in the first, second, and fifth innings, and allowed only two walks through five innings. 
 
Western New Mexico broke through with three hits in the sixth, opening the inning with a Morales single, then got back-to-back two-out singles from Peters and Cordova, scoring one run before Urquidez struck out Armijo to strand two runners. 
 
Fossum reached on an error to start the seventh, and after Hickman flied out, Jarrard and Morales hit back-to-back singles to score another run. Urquidez settled down and struck out Alvidrez, then followed another single by inducing a groundout to end the game. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 6-18 with a 4-10 conference record after the wins. The Hilltoppers will look for the sweep tomorrow, with the first pitch at noon.