BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Momentum can change in an instant, and for St. Edward's, it arrived in the form of one decisive swing.
RYAN RANGEL stepped into the box in the bottom of the third inning and delivered the turning point of the afternoon, launching a towering three-run home run that ignited the Hilltoppers in a 9-1 run-rule victory over William Jewell College — St. Edward's first win of the season.

William Jewell struck first with a solo home run from Emma Ogle in the top half of the third, but the Hilltoppers wasted no time responding. ARIANNA VIDALES sparked the rally with a one-out single before JAYDEN CORTEZ moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Darian DeLeon brought St. Edward's even with an RBI double, part of a dominant 3-for-4 performance at the plate. DAFNE MERCADO followed with an RBI single to give the Hilltoppers their first lead, setting the stage for Rangel.

Entering as a pinch hitter, Rangel delivered the exclamation point. She drove a towering shot over the fence, turning a narrow lead into a commanding 5-1 advantage and shifting momentum firmly in St. Edward's favor.

From there, the Hilltoppers seized complete control.

Vidales continued to pressure the Cardinals in the fourth, singling and stealing her way into scoring position before crossing home on Cortez's sacrifice fly. DeLeon added another hit, Mercado drew a walk, and SLOANE HILL extended the lead with an RBI single to make it 7-1.

St. Edward's closed the door in the sixth. After two quick outs, an error kept the inning alive, and Hill delivered again with an RBI single. Moments later, fittingly, it was Rangel who ended it — driving an RBI double into the gap to trigger the run rule and secure the 9-1 victory.

The Hilltopper offense surged throughout the lineup. DeLeon scored three runs and paced the offense with three hits, while Hill added three hits and two RBI as a steady force in the middle of the order. Vidales scored twice and created constant pressure on the bases, and Rangel finished 2-for-3 with four RBI in a game-changing performance.

In the circle, KYLEN PADGETT delivered a composed and efficient outing, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings while striking out three to earn the win.

With the breakthrough victory secured, St. Edward's carries newfound momentum into the second day of the Alvy Early Classic.