The Aquinas softball team began its 17-game spring break trip in Tucson, Ariz. with a split of its Saturday games (Mar. 7). AQ fell to (RV) Simpson by a 2-0 score, but rallied back to tally two runs in its final at-bat and knock off Northwestern by a 7-6 final.
Aquinas improves to 7-6 on the season with the split and were scheduled to play a pair of games on Sunday (Mar. 8). The Saints were supposed to take on Viterbo at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by a 10:30 p.m. ET matchup with Antelope Valley, but both games were cancelled due to inclement weather. There has been no word yet on if those games will be rescheduled.
In the opener against Simpson, both of the game's runs came in the fourth inning. The Red Hawks used an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead and plated an insurance run on an AQ error for a 2-0 lead.
Simpson outhit Aquinas by a 10-2 mark. For AQ,
Leigha Morse and
Jordan Humitz were both 1-for-3, while Humitz notched a double.
Leah Ash allowed two runs on six hits in three innings.
Marisa Loya tossed the final four innings and scatted four hits. Both pitchers walked one batter and struck out three Red Hawks.
In the nightcap against Northwestern, a two-run homer to center field from Morse gave AQ a lead in the top of the first inning. A solo roundtripper from
Taylor Borkowski to center field in the fourth inning made it 3-1 in the Saints' favor.
Aquinas led 3-2 in the fifth inning when
Aubrie Benward delivered a solo homer to left field and Morse followed later in the frame with a single to score
Dana Wila. The Saints were on top 5-2, but Northwestern scored a run in the fifth and took a 6-5 advantage with a three-run sixth inning.
Natalie VanDerHaegen led off the seventh with a double to center field and scored on an
Izzy Dawson RBI single to tie the game at 6-6. Dawson moved over to third and was brought home on a sacrifice fly from
Kayla Fessenden to give AQ a 7-6 edge.
The Red Hawks put runners on the corners with just one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Fessenden induced a popout and a groundout to finish the game and seal the victory.
In addition to knocking in the game-winning run, Fessenden (2-1) logged the final two innings to earn the win, allowing one unearned run on no hits.
Leah Vaughan pitched four innings and gave up two runs on six hits in relief of
Mia Loya (one earned run on four hits in one inning).
Morse went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, Dawson was 2-for-3. Seven different Saints scored a run, while eight AQ players notched a hit. Five of Aquinas' 10 hits went for extra bases, with the three homers and two doubles.
