AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's softball left eight runners stranded and committed three errors in a 6-1 loss in the first game of a doubleheader against MSU-Denver. 
 
St. Edward's gifted MSU-Denver a run in the first inning with two walks and an error to load the bases with one out, setting up a sacrifice fly from Jaiden Geist to right field before getting out of the inning. 
 
MSU-Denver starting pitcher Romero Natalie hit KATIE DILLON to open the bottom of the inning, and the Hilltoppers moved her to third on consecutive groundouts. However, the Hilltoppers couldn't drive in the tying run. 
 
The second inning followed a similar formula. St. Edward's ceded an unearned run on a walk and an error while leaving its leadoff baserunner stranded. 
 
MSU-Denver tripled its lead in the third inning, getting a one-out double to deep center field from Geist, then a two-run home from Miki Berg to end starting pitcher KYLEN PADGETT's afternoon. 
 
Maddi Aguilar replaced Padgett in the circle and surrendered a walk, single, and hit a batter before Esquibel rocketed a shot past ELLA HUTZLER at first for the two-RBI single for the 6-0 lead. St. Edward's put together two infield singles in the bottom of the inning. However, the Hilltoppers left both stranded. 
 
RYAN RANGEL put St. Edward's on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, driving a 1-0 pitch over the tallest part of the left-field fence for the leadoff home run. St. Edward's carried the momentum with its first three-up, three-down inning in the top of the fifth but went down in order in the bottom of the fifth, left three stranded in the sixth, and grounded into a double play in the seventh. 
 
Padgett pitched 2.1 innings with four walks and two hits surrendered, giving up four total runs, including two earned. Aguilar surrendered two runs with two walks and three hits.