AUSTIN, Texas — After several weeks on the road to open the season, St. Edward's softball made a lasting first impression at home, sweeping Sul Ross State in its home-opening doubleheader at Diane Daniels Field.
The Hilltoppers leaned on timely power, patient pressure, and a pair of commanding pitching performances to a 6-1 Game 1 win before closing the day with a 10-2 run-rule victory in Game 2, punctuated by
SLOANE HILL's walk-off double.
Game 1 unfolded with a steady, methodical build — the kind that reflects a team settling into its identity. After two scoreless innings, the Hilltoppers broke through in the third, turning a walk and back-to-back extra-base hits into a 2-0 lead.
DAFNE MERCADO ignited the rally with an RBI double, and
RYAN RANGEL followed with another, giving St. Edward's early control it would never relinquish.
Sul Ross State scratched across a run in the fourth, but the Hilltoppers answered with their most decisive swing of the opener in the fifth. Rangel delivered again, launching a towering two-run home run to center as part of a four-run inning that stretched the lead and broke the game open.
From there, the pitching tandem of
MADDIE AGUILAR and
HALEY CARMONA closed the door. Aguilar earned the win with four innings of one-run work, and Carmona was surgical in relief, tossing three scoreless innings to secure the save as St. Edward's limited Sul Ross to just one run.
If Game 1 was controlled, Game 2 was explosive.
St. Edward's wasted no time applying pressure, scoring in multiple early innings before unleashing a five-run fourth that turned momentum into separation. The Hilltoppers capitalized on free bases and defensive miscues, while also delivering key extra-base hits — highlighted by
ELLA HUTZLER's two-run triple.
In the circle,
KYLEN PADGETT was dominant, allowing just one hit and no earned runs across five innings while navigating traffic with composure.
And then came the finish.
With the run-rule in reach in the fifth,
SLOANE HILL delivered the exclamation point, driving a walk-off double to end the game early. Hill led the Game 2 effort with a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and a walk.
DAFNE MERCADO added two hits and three RBI.
Across both games, the Hilltoppers blended patience and punch — working counts, capitalizing on opportunities, and delivering timely swings to open the home schedule in commanding fashion.
