ALPINE, Texas — St. Edward's softball closed its final road trip of the season with authority, sweeping Sul Ross State behind a pair of dominant shutout performances, 5-0 and 2-0.
The Hilltoppers leaned on elite pitching and timely offense all afternoon, allowing just two hits across 14 innings while steadily applying pressure at the plate.
In the opener, St. Edward's struck early and never let up. A first-inning RBI single from
SLOANE HILL set the tone before the Hilltoppers capitalized on defensive miscues to build a multi-run cushion. Darian DeLeon added an RBI single in the third, and the Hilltoppers tacked on insurance late with a two-run seventh, highlighted by RBI hits from
RYAN RANGEL and
DAFNE MERCADO to seal the 5-0 victory.
Inside the circle,
HALEY CARMONA was in complete control, tossing a one-hit shutout over seven innings. She worked around five walks while limiting hard contact, stranding every Sul Ross baserunner to preserve the clean sheet.
Game two followed a similar script — tight early, then broken open by a decisive swing. After both teams traded zeros through three innings, St. Edward's broke through in the fourth.
ALYSSA BURDGE sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and
ALEA DESERRANO followed with a base hit and a stolen base to move into scoring position.
ALEAH HERNANDEZ delivered the breakthrough, ripping a two-RBI single to score both runners and provide all the offense the Hilltoppers would need.
KYLEN PADGETT made it stand up, turning in a dominant one-hit shutout of her own. The right-hander allowed just a single baserunner beyond the minimum and kept Sul Ross off balance throughout, finishing the sweep with seven scoreless innings and four strikeouts.
St. Edward's defense backed both efforts with clean, efficient play, helping the Hilltoppers control the pace from start to finish.
With the sweep, St. Edward's closes the trip on a high note, riding momentum from a pitching staff that delivered one of its most complete performances of the season.
