KINGSVILLE, Texas – St. Edward's softball bounced back from a Game 1 loss with a commanding victory to open its weekend road trip with a doubleheader split against Texas A&M-Kingsville. 
 
Game 1: Texas A&M-Kingsville 7, St. Edward's 6
St. Edward's scored five unanswered runs, but the Hilltoppers' rally fell one short in a 7-6 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville. 
 
The Javelinas jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of three walks and a hit batter, stringing together four hits, capped off by Kaylynne Ruiz's two-RBI double to left field before Maddy Aguilar came out of the bullpen to get out of the inning. 
 
ARIANNA VIDALES continued her recent streak of solid at-bats with an RBI single in the second, but Evans responded with a solo blast in the bottom of the inning. Doelitsch pinch-hit for Peal in the third and delivered a two-RBI single down the right-field line for the 7-1 lead. 
 
KATIE DILLON sparked St. Edward's with a two-RBI double in the fourth, then scored on AVI MARTINEZ's single to center field to bring the Hilltoppers to within 7-4, then Texas A&M-Kingsville committed back-to-back errors in the fight to plate another St. Ed's run. 
 
Vidales hit a leadoff single in the sixth, then scored when Martinez was caught in a rundown. St. Edward's was retired in order in the seventh. Martinez, MEGAN MORRIS, and Vidales all had two hits, and Morris scored three runs. 
 
Game 2: St. Edward's 11, Texas A&M-Kingsville 4
ELLA HUTZLER and Morris went off for three hits each, with the former also driving in three RBI and scoring twice to lead St. Edward's to an 11-4 win over the Javelinas. 
 
Hutzler put St. Edward's on the board with an RBI single through the left side in the first, followed by AUDRI CASTILLO's RBI double down the right-field line for the 2-0 lead. Hutzler, Hill, and Morris hit consecutive RBI singles in the second, with Hill scoring on a wild pitch for the 6-0 lead. Vidales added another run on a single to center field in the third.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville opened the fifth with three hits from its first four batters, getting two doubles and a triple to score two runs. However, Castillo responded with a two-RBI double in the sixth, and Hutzler and ALYSSA BURDGE plated two more runs in the seventh. 
 
Dakota Martinez hit a two-run blast in the seventh, but Padgett struck out two consecutive Javelinas to end the game. Padgett (W, 7-3) pitched all seven innings, striking out eight with seven hits, four runs, and six walks surrendered. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 18-14 with a 12-10 conference record after the win. The Hilltoppers will travel to play Texas A&M International on Sunday.