ABILENE, Texas – St. Thomas scored five runs in the opening three innings to secure a 6-2 victory over McMurry to extend its season Sunday afternoon, in the second elimination game of the 2026 SCAC Softball Tournament Championship at Edwards Field. Official Website | Bracket | Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview

The eight combined runs are the most in a single game to this point in the 2026 Tournament, while the 1:57 game time is the longest contest as well.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Host McMurry opened the scoring in the top of the first with two outs as Sophia Steele drove in Kaelyn Rodriguez who led off the game with a single to give the War Hawks an early 1-0 lead. 
• St. Thomas immediately responded in the home half of the inning, all with two out and all courtesy of the long ball. Ana Zozaya tied the game at 1-1 went she sent crushed her fourth home run of the season and Olivia Sanchez belted her second home run of the season to give the Celts a 3-1 lead following a Samantha Crumrin single. 
• The War Hawks cut the lead to one in the top half of the second inning, after a double off the bat of Brooklyn Nehring and stealing third base, Taylor McCurdy recorded and RBI on a groundout to the shortstop.
• St. Thomas put together its second multi-run inning in the first three, extending the lead to 5-2 with a pair of two out runs in the bottom of the third. Sophie Hassall and Maegan Anderson picked up RBI hits, scoring Kaitlyn Key and Viviana Vargas.
• McMurry threatened with three hits over the next two innings but starting pitcher Allison Hughes worked around them, stranding all three runners.
• The Celts added an insurance run in the bottom half of the fifth when Vargas picked up her second hit of the afternoon, an RBI double to plate Olivia Sanchez to make it 6-2.
• Hughes got the win in the circle, securing her 50th career win, standing eight War Hawk runners over the final five innings.

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS STATISTICAL STANDOUTS 

• Olivia Sanchez: 2-3, 2 Runs Scored, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 Double
• Ana Zozaya: 2-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB
• Viviana Vargas: 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 Run Scored, 1 Double
• Maegan Anderson: 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 Double
• Allison Hughes: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Ks, 8 Hits Allowed, WP

MCMURRY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Sophia Steele: 2-2, 1 RBI
• Reaghan Staehely: 2-4
• Brooklyn Nehring: 1-3, 1 Run Scored, 1 Double
• Sophia Garza: 2.0 IP, 1 Hit allowed, 0 R

NOTABLES

• St. Thomas leadoff batters finished the game, 4-for-6, while McMurry was just 1-for-7. 
• The Celts went 7-for-13 with two outs to extend innings and McMurry finished the game 1-for-8 with two outs.   
• St. Thomas improves to 11-6 all-time in SCAC Tournament action. McMurry closes its SCAC career with an all-time 1-4 record in postseason play.
• Today marked the first and last meeting between the two programs in conference tournament play.
• McMurry ends its season with an overall record of 16-21-1. St. Thomas improves to 30-9, securing its third 30 win season in the last four years.

UP NEXT

St. Thomas advances to face Ozarks later this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. in an elimination game. Meanwhile, McMurry is eliminated with the loss.