AUSTIN, Texas — With one swing that flipped the afternoon,
ALEAH HERNANDEZ turned a deficit into a surge, launching a go-ahead grand slam as part of a six-run sixth inning to power St. Edward's to a doubleheader sweep of UT Dallas on Wednesday at Diane Daniels Field.
Trailing 4-3 entering the sixth in Game 1, the Hilltoppers pieced together pressure before Hernandez delivered the decisive blow, a deep drive to left that cleared the Blue Monster in left field and the bases, capping a comeback.
St. Edward's struck first in the opener, manufacturing a run in the first before UT Dallas capitalized on defensive miscues to score four unearned runs in the second. Rather than unravel, the Hilltoppers methodically chipped away.
Two runs came back in the third, aided by pressure on the bases and Comet errors, and the lineup continued to threaten into the middle innings before finally breaking through in the sixth.
HALEY CARMONA steadied the circle after the early inning, limiting further damage and working through traffic to keep the game within reach. The right-hander scattered seven hits and allowed just the one big inning, giving St. Edward's the platform it needed to mount the comeback.
The momentum carried straight into Game 2, where
KYLEN PADGETT took control from the outset and never let go. The junior delivered a complete-game shutout, navigating seven innings with composure while working around seven hits and three walks to keep UT Dallas off the scoreboard.
Padgett's outing set the tone for a more measured offensive effort in the nightcap. After three scoreless innings, the Hilltoppers broke through in the fourth, using a
HANNA ZACHARY leadoff single and baserunning pressure to manufacture the game's first run. They added another in the fifth on a wild pitch before creating separation in the sixth, where
SOFIA APONTE's RBI triple plated a run to extend the lead to 3-0.
From there, Padgett closed the door. She worked efficiently through the final two frames, inducing weak contact and leaning on a defense that turned three double plays behind her to erase threats before they could materialize.
Across the doubleheader, St. Edward's found two different ways to win, first with a late-inning offensive eruption, then with a controlled, pitching-driven performance. Both followed the same script of resilience.
