HOUSTON, TX-- St. Thomas softball team opened the 2026 season in strong fashion, sweeping a home-opening doubleheader against Hardin-Simmons on Saturday afternoon. With wins of 9–4 and 11–3, the Celts begin the year 2–0 and set the tone early at home.
Game 1: UST 9, HSU 4
Hardin-Simmons struck first, scoring in the top of the first inning and holding a 1–0 lead through the early frames. The Cowgirls extended their advantage in the fourth, pushing the lead to 3–0.
UST answered in the bottom of the third to get on the board. Olivia Sanchez doubled to left field, allowing Avery Pinz to score and cut the deficit to 3–1. Moments later, Ana Zozaya followed with a single to left, bringing Sanchez home to make it a one-run game.
HSU briefly halted the momentum by adding another run, taking a 4–2 lead, but the Celts found their stride in the bottom of the sixth. Capitalizing on timely hits and pressure at the plate, St. Thomas rallied to tie the game at 4–4 before taking the lead for good. Savanna Henken delivered the go-ahead hit, scoring Viviana Vargas to give UST a 5–4 advantage.
The Celts poured it on from there. RBI hits from Samantha Crumrin and Ciaira Gonzalez highlighted a decisive inning, as St. Thomas added four more runs to secure the 9–4 victory and complete the comeback.
Game 2: UST 11, HSU 3 (6 innings)
St. Thomas wasted no time in the nightcap, erupting for five runs in the opening inning. Ciara Gonzalez opened the scoring with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single from Kianah Johnson. Gigi  Rivera capped the inning with a two-run double, giving the Celts an early 5–0 lead.
The Celts continued to build their advantage in the third when Johnson drove in another run, extending the lead to 6–0. Hardin-Simmons responded in the fourth with three runs, cutting the margin to 6–3, but UST quickly answered to regain control.
Gonzalez delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7–3, and the offense stayed hot in the fifth. Johnson brought home another run with a single before Rebecca Archibald added an RBI hit to push the lead to 9–3. Archibald later crossed the plate again, extending the advantage to 10–3.
The Celts closed out the game in the sixth inning as Ana Zozaya singled to left field, driving in the final run and sealing the 11–3 win in six innings.
Up Next
St. Thomas heads into conference play as the Celts prepare to take on Hendrix on Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. For more updates, visit ustcelts.com or follow @ustsoftball on Instagram.
