An incredible offensive output helped the Aquinas baseball team earn a doubleheader sweep on Sunday (Feb. 28) over Saint Xavier (Ill.) in Logansport, Ind. The Saints hit a whopping eight home runs in the 12-10 and 9-1 victories to finish off a 3-1 weekend over the Cougars.
AQ and Saint Xavier split one-run decisions in Saturday's (Feb. 27) season-opening twinbill. The Saints followed up by scoring 21 runs on 23 hits in the pair of victories on Sunday, highlighted by sluggers
Nathan Hughes and
Chris Suriel Garcia.
Aquinas' #3 (Hughes) and #4 (Suriel Garcia) hitters in the lineup were outstanding on Sunday. Hughes finished the twinbill going 6-for-8 with four home runs, seven RBI, and eight runs scored. Suriel Garcia wasn't far behind, hitting 4-for-7 with three homers, six ribbies, and five runs. The duo's combined statline: 10-for-15, seven roundtrippers, 13 RBI, 13 runs scored.
In the opener, both Aquinas and Saint Xavier scored in six of the nine innings. Suriel Garcia started things in the top of the first with a two-run homer to left center, which scored Hughes for the 2-0 lead.
Brady Paganelli delivered a three-run home run in the second inning for a 5-1 lead.
Hughes hit a solo shot in the fourth to keep AQ in front, 8-4, but the Cougars responded and took a 9-8 lead heading into the seventh inning. It was there that Hughes hit a second solo homer to knot the game at 9-9.
It was still tied in the ninth, when Suriel Garcia blasted a two-run homer to center field – again scoring Hughes – for the 11-9 edge.
Anthony Arnold's RBI single made it 12-9 and the Saints held on for the 12-10 win.
In game one, Hughes was 3-for-4 with two ribbies and four runs, while Suriel Garcia went 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. Both Saints homered twice.
Alec Lockwood followed up his impressive Saturday performance with a 2-for-5 effort and
Michael Maher was also 2-for-5. Paganelli scored twice and drove in three runs with his early roundtripper.
Grant Smitz pitched the first three innings and allowed three runs, while
Bruce Buurstra tossed the next two innings and gave up four runs.
Richard Steffan tossed the final four frames, allowing two runs on four hits to earn the win. Both teams had 15 hits in game one.
Hughes began game two with a two-run blast to center field in the top of the first inning. It was still 2-0 in the fourth when Suriel Garcia lifted a two-run shot to left center – scoring Hughes again – for the 4-0 edge. Hughes came up in the fifth and delivered a three-run roundtripper for a 7-0 cushion.
Braden Nawrocki added a two-run single in the seventh inning to close the game's scoring, while his hit naturally scored both Hughes and Suriel Garcia. AQ outhit the Cougars, 8-3.
Hughes finished 3-for-4 with two blasts, four runs, and five RBI, while Suriel Garcia was 2-for-4 with a homer, two ribbies, and two runs. Nawrocki collected two RBI and
Lucas Weinert walked twice and scored twice.
Ben Snider struck out six Cougars over six innings and allowed one run on three hits to collect the victory before
Dawson Rabb worked a hitless inning of relief to close out the game.
The Saints are back on the field on Tuesday (Mar. 2) at 2:00 p.m. with a single game against IU-Kokomo.