AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's pushed nationally-ranked Angelo State to the brink in the opener before the Rambelles completed a doubleheader sweep Friday, taking Game 1 in eight innings, 5-4, and pulling away for a 9-3 win in Game 2 at Diane Daniels Field.
The Hilltoppers showed plenty of fight in the first game. After Angelo State grabbed an unearned run in the first and added three more in the fourth, St. Edward's chipped away and then broke through with a three-run sixth to tie it. Darian DeLeon doubled to start the inning,
SLOANE HILL followed with a single, and
JORDYN COMER came home on a catcher's throwing error.
RYAN RANGEL and
DAFNE MERCADO helped keep the rally moving before
ALYSSA BURDGE lined an RBI single to left to even the score at 4-4. Angelo State answered in the eighth, using Abby Brand's leadoff double and a Taylor Haywood bunt that brought home the go-ahead run, then closed the door in the bottom half.
Mercado paced the Hilltoppers in the opener by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Burdge finished 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. DeLeon, Hill, Rangel, Pelham, and Zachary all added hits as St. Edward's matched Angelo State with eight.
Game 2 started on a bright note for the Hilltoppers when
HANNA ZACHARY tripled and scored on Darian DeLeon's sacrifice fly in the first, but Angelo State swung control with a five-run second. Abby Brand's solo homer opened the inning, and Kylie Forney's two-run triple highlighted the decisive burst. St. Edward's answered with two runs in the third after
ALEAH HERNANDEZ doubled, Zachary singled, and DeLeon and Hill each delivered run-scoring plays to cut the deficit to 6-3, but the Rambelles added two more in the fourth and a solo homer from Tatiana Trotter in the sixth to create separation.
Zachary and DeLeon each had two hits in the nightcap, Hill added two hits and an RBI, and Burdge also collected a pair of hits as St. Edward's finished with 10 hits in Game 2. Angelo State got home runs from Brand and Trotter and a 2-for-4 day from Karli Manney in the win.
Across the doubleheader, the Hilltoppers put pressure on one of the Lone Star Conference's top teams, nearly stealing the opener and continuing to find offense against a nationally-ranked staff, but Angelo State capitalized on key middle innings to leave Austin with both wins.