AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's sophomore
KYLEN PADGETT bested one of the top pitchers in the Lone Star Conference to give the Hilltoppers a win and split Friday's doubleheader against No. 20-ranked Angelo State.
Game 1: Angelo State 11, St. Edward's 1
Angelo State hit 13-for-29 with six walks to clinch the series with an 11-1 win over the St. Edward's Hilltoppers in the first game of the doubleheader.
St. Edward's missed two opportunities to stop Angelo State in the first, twice missing a chance to get leadoff hitter Averie Gunther at third. This led to a sacrifice fly RBI and RBI double from Tatiana Trotter and Keilei Garcia.
MEGAN MORRIS hit a leadoff double in the second,
LAUREN HOYT moved her over with a sacrifice bunt, and
RYAN RANGEL drove Morris in with an RBI single through the left side.
In the third, Angelo State scored three runs on three hits. Zoey De Baca, Layni Tanner, and Ashton Dirner had three consecutive RBI at-bats.
The Rambelles added two more runs in the fourth, thanks to Trotter's RBI single and De Baca's sac fly.
MAKENNA HOLLOWAY replaced
LISETTE URQUIDEZ in that inning and retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth before Angelo State broke through with four runs in the seventh. Angelo State started the seventh with a leadoff walk and three consecutive singles, a sac fly, another RBI single, and a Laylonna Applin sac fly for the 11-1 lead.
Game 2: St. Edward's 3, Angelo State 1
KYLEN PADGETT came up big in the most crucial moments, outdueling Angelo State ace Cheyenne Floyd to win 3-1.
Padgett retired the first six hitters with some help on a 6-3 double play in the first, and
SLOANE HILL sparked St. Edward's with a leadoff single through the left side in the second. Hoyt moved her over with a sac bunt, Morris put runners on the corners with a bunt for a single, and the Hilltoppers took the 1-0 lead on a double steal.
Angelo State went down in order again in the third, and the Hilltoppers added two runs on a sacrifice bunt from
ELLA HUTZLER, which scored
KATIE DILLON on the RBI and
ARIANNA VIDALES on an error, for a 3-0 lead.
Padgett hit Gunther to open the fourth but induced a flyout from Carter Smith, and Applin grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Trotter hit a leadoff single in the fifth, stole second, and advanced to third on a Garcia groundout. However, Padgett caught Lauren De la Cruz looking for a significant second out, and De Baca flew out to left to end the threat. The Hilltoppers escaped unscathed again in the sixth when Padget fanned Smith.
Angelo State opened the seventh with back-to-back singles, and Padgett fell behind 3-0 against Garcia before battling back with a clutch strikeout. De La Cruz walked to load the bases, and Baca hit a sac fly to score Applin, but Tanner flew out to center to end the game.
Padget went all seven innings, striking out three with only three walks, three hits, and one run surrendered.
After the win, St. Edward's improves to 11-26 with a 9-18 conference record. Next weekend, the Hilltoppers will travel to Tyler,, Texas, to play defending conference champion UT Tyler.
