The (RV) AQ softball squad competed in its first series of games this weekend (Feb. 25-27). On Friday (Feb. 25), the defending WHAC champions took on (RV) Mobile and Ave Maria for their first two games of the season. Mobile squeaked out a victory in the first game with a 2-1 score and Ave Maria got the best of the Saints in the second matchup, winning 11-5. On Saturday (Feb. 26), the Saints bounced back and picked up two wins against (RV) Reinhardt and Brenau. AQ won the first game by a score of 8-5 and the second 3-2.

Aquinas capped off the weekend with a huge win against #10 Campbellsville with a comfortable 7-1 victory. Opening weekend places the Saints at a 3-2 record and a three-game win streak heading into their Arizona trip next weekend.

Game 1: Mobile 2, Aquinas 1 (7 innings)

The first game was a defensive battle between the two sides. Leah Ash pitched a good game for the Saints, going the full seven innings and only conceding two runs. Mobile would score its only two runs in the fourth inning off of a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single. Outside of those two runs, Ash would only allow six hits while striking out another six batters.

Jordan Humitz and Courtney Hardin would be the only two Saints to pick up a hit against Mobile's quality pitching. Humitz would score off of a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, but it would be too little, too late for Aquinas. Mobile would close out the first game with a 2-1 victory.

Game 2: Ave Maria 11, Aquinas 5 (7 innings)

The second game on Friday would be all about the third inning for Ave Maria. Kayla Fessenden would get the nod on the mound in the second game and the Gyrenes had her number. Ave Maria raced out to an early lead in the first inning with an RBI double. The score would remain close until the Gyrenes opened up the scoring in the third period. Ave Maria would score six runs in the third off of Fessenden until Leah Vaughan would come in to relieve her. AMU would score one more run in the third period for a commanding 8-0 lead over AQ.

Aquinas would begin to mount a comeback with a massive fourth inning. Darrien Roberts would bring Izzy Dawson and Haley Myers home with a big RBI double. Vaughan would follow suit with a single to bring Roberts home. Carson Hendrickson would get on base and Ashley Snyder would bring her and Vaughan home with an RBI double. Ave Maria would manage to get out of the inning, but Aquinas cut the lead down to just three runs.

The Gyrenes would respond in the fifth inning, scoring two more runs and forcing another pitching change for the Saints. Nina Bennett would come in to relieve Vaughan and get the Saints out of the inning without conceding any more runs. However, Ave Maria was now in control of the game with a comfortable 10-5 lead.

Aquinas would get a few more runners on base, along with a pair of hits from Humitz, but Aquinas wouldn't be able to get another runner across home plate. A security run for the Gyrenes in the seventh inning would seal off the 11-5 victory.

Game 3: Aquinas 8, Reinhardt 5 (7 innings)

The first game on Saturday featured an offensive explosion for the Saints, along with their first grand slam of the season. Aquinas would go up 1-0 in the third inning off a single by Dawson and a defensive error from Reinhardt, scoring Vaughan. The Saints would blow open the score in the fourth inning a double from Emma Houseman followed by a single from Snyder would score Houseman. Reinhardt would change pitchers, but Aquinas would keep the pressure on. Another single, a walk, and a passed ball would score Snyder.

Hardin would be walked as the next batter, loading the bases for Roberts. Roberts would take full advantage of the loaded bases opportunity and score the first grand slam for the Saints this season. After the four-run play, Aquinas now held a 7-0 advantage over Reinhardt heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Reinhardt would finally get its bats working, totaling two home runs against Bennett, forcing an AQ pitching change. Grace Maguire would come in for relief and get the Saints out of the fourth inning with a 7-3 lead.

Reinhardt would score another solo home run in the sixth inning, but that run would be answered with a solo blast from Kaelyn Stafford. The Eagles would score on more run in the bottom of the seventh, but Maguire would close of the game, giving Aquinas its first win of the season and Maguire her first win of the season.

Game 4: Aquinas 3, Brenau 2 (7 innings)

Stafford would stay hot in the second game on Saturday, ripping a double into right field with her first bat of the game. This hit would score two runs for Aquinas, giving them an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. Ash would get the start again for the Saints and would give the team another quality seven innings. Ash gave up no runs through six innings while striking out six batters.

At the top of the sixth inning, Aquinas would score an unearned run due to a fielding error from Brenau. That run would be crucial as Brenau would get a rally started in the top of the seventh inning. Brenau would score off of a pair of sacrifice hits, but Ash would close of the game, giving AQ a 3-2 victory while earning her first win of the season.

Game 5: Aquinas 7, Campbellsville 1 (7 innings)

Aquinas would stay hot going into the final matchup of the weekend against the nationally-ranked Tigers. Humitz would score Hardin off of a sacrifice fly, followed by a single to center field from Houseman to score Roberts. AQ would ride that early lead for the remainder of the game. Hardin would bring another run home in the fourth inning with an RBI double and Dawson would score a run in the top of the sixth with an RBI double of her own.

The Tigers would score one back in the bottom of the sixth inning, but that run would not matter. The Saints would score three insurance runs in the seventh inning to give Aquinas a commanding 7-1 lead. Stafford would score off a wild pitch and Roberts would pick up two RBIs off a hit to right field.

Fessenden would earn her first win of the season after pitching 2.2 innings. Maguire would finish out an excellent weekend with a save and no earned runs through the final two innings.

Ash was announced today as Aquinas' lone member of the 2022 NFCA All-Tournament Team. Ash posted a 2.0 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP through two complete-game starts. She also posted 10 strikeouts while only allowing 14 hits.

The AQ softball team is set for a busy weekend next week with 15 games scheduled from March 5th to March 12th. The first game is set to be played against Tabor in Tucson, Arizona. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM.