The Aquinas softball team traveled to Brighton, Michigan to face IU-South Bend and Grace College for two non-conference matchups in the Saints' 2021 opening day on Friday afternoon (Mar. 5). AQ was able to grab two wins by earning the 5-inning win over Titans, 4-1, and notching the 5-inning victory over the Lancers of Grace (7-0).
In the first game against IUSB, the Saints sparked right away as Kallie Sears hit a double in the bottom of the first inning. The Titans walked Izzy Dawson and Jordan Humitz loading up the bases. After a popup, Leigha Morse singled with two outs scoring Sears and I. Dawson, notching 2 RBIs.
The Saints opened the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, as IUSB pitcher walked I. Dawson and Humitz again. Darrien Roberts reached on a fielder's choice and IUSB walked another (Sydney Dawson), loading up the bases for AQ. Freshman Courtney Hardin doubled to score Roberts and I. Dawson to make it 4-0.
Aquinas closed out the 5-inning game, 4-1, for their first win on the year. I. Dawson tallied two runs and two stolen bases. Roberts finished with a run, a hit, two RBIs, and a stolen base. IUSB moves to 0-3 on the year.
In the second game against Grace, senior Brooke Wila beat out the throw from shortstop to earn herself a single in the bottom of the first. Two stolen bases by Wila and groundout by Roberts, advanced Wila to third. I. Dawson earned an RBI with a groundout to shortstop, scoring Wila.
Two more AQ runs came in the bottom of the second from a Kaelyn Stafford single scoring Haley Myers (after reaching on a fielder's choice and stealing second). With Stafford on third (after a stolen base and wild pitch), Brianna Pastor grounded out to the shortstop, earning an RBI by scoring Stafford.
A single and a score in the bottom of the third by Roberts, and three runs in the fourth (Borkowski, Pastor, and Wila) cracked the game open as the Saints earned the 7-0 victory after five innings. Grace moves to 0-8 on the season.
Wila posted two hits, two runs, and four stolen bases for the Saints. Stafford grabbed a hit, a run, and two RBIs. Myers finished with a hit, a run, an RBIs, and two stolen bases. I. Dawson recorded 2 RBIs for AQ. Pastor tallied a double, earning her an RBI. Pastor also added a run and had a stolen base.
The Saints were up (1-0) on St. Xavier in the middle of the bottom of the third in AQ's third game of the day before facility and scheduling issues caused the game to end. The single run was scored by pinch runner Breanna Adamczak as S. Dawson hit a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the second. The stats will not be recorded as official.
With the two wins today, Aquinas advances to 2-0 to start the season and is back in action Wednesday (Mar. 10) as the Saints travel to Marion, Indiana. AQ will face Indiana Wesleyan in another non-conference showdown. The doubleheader is set to begin at 4:00 PM.
