Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

St. Mary's University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of St. Mary's University

Scoreboard

Nicole Sardelich
Antonio Morano Photography
Nicole Sardelich broke the St. Mary's all-time hits record on this first-inning single.
2
Winner St. Mary's STMU 42-9
1
St. Edward's SEUSB 27-22
Winner
St. Mary's STMU
42-9
2
Final
1
St. Edward's SEUSB
27-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
St. Mary's STMU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 4 2
St. Edward's SEUSB 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 0

W: Gutierrez Touchtone, Vianna (25-4) L: Sarah Debrow (15-11)

Game Recap: Softball | | RattlerAthletics.com

Sardelich leads Rattlers past SEU in extras for Heartland crown

By Chad Peters | St. Mary's Athletics Communications

SAN ANTONIO — Nicole Sardelich became St. Mary's all-time hits leader Saturday — an historic moment that paled in comparison to what she had in store for the rest of the Heartland Conference Tournament championship game. 

Sardelich blasted a go-ahead RBI double off the left-field wall in the top of the eighth inning to spur the Rattlers past rival St. Edward's 2-1 in extras at the Softball Stadium inside The Park at St. Mary's.
3112
Two innings earlier, Sardelich sent a solo shot over the right field wall that evened up the game at 1-1 to help No. 7-ranked Rattlers (42-9) secure the postseason championship to go along with their regular-season co-championship.

It was an MVP-worthy performance for the Heartland Conference Player of the Year, who earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors after batting 3 for 4 with two RBIs, a home run and a run scored.

Ace Vianna Gutierrez Touchtone — a top-10 finalist for the NFCA National Player of the Year award — was just as sensational, scattering four hits over eight innings and allowing just one unearned run to improve to 25-4 on the season.  

The victory marked the Rattlers' fifth over St. Edward's this season, as StMU improved to 5-0 on the season against its "Battle of the Saints" rival.

Hannah Fields recorded the fourth of the Rattlers' four hits in the game, going 1 for 2 with a walk.

Fields joined Sardelich and Gutierrez Touchtone on the All-Tournament Team, as did pitcher Hope Russell and outfielder Taylor Vidrine.

Sardelich set the St. Mary's all-time hits record at 297 with a first-inning single, breaking her tie with Tiffani Craft atop the Rattlers' record book. Sardelich is now one hit short of 300 for her career following her three hits against St. Edward's. 

St. Mary's, the league's co-champions of the regular season, has now won the regular-season or postseason title 14 times in the last 15 years. With the championship victory, the Rattlers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

They will now await word on seeding and whether they will secure the right to host next week's regional. Stay tuned to RattlerAthletics.com for updates.
 
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors