The Aquinas softball team gained wins over Concordia (Neb.) and Roosevelt to run its winning streak up to 12 in a row on Friday (Mar. 11) in Tucson, Arizona. The Saints took care of the Bulldogs by an 11-2 score in five innings, then secured a 7-4 victory over the Lakers. AQ now has a record of 15-3 this season, including going 12-1 on the Arizona trip so far.
GAME 1: Aquinas 11, Concordia 2 (5 innings)
It was the Bulldogs that jumped out in front in the top of the first inning with an RBI single up the middle. The Saints responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to gain a three-run lead.
Haley Myers began the inning with a single and eventually advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball. After a
Courtney Hardin walk,
Izzy Dawson singled to left field to drive in Myers.
Kaelyn Stafford also collected an RBI single up the middle to score Hardin for the second run. The inning was capped off with yet another single by
Emma Houseman that plated both Dawson and Stafford.
Even though CU scored another run in the second inning, AQ scored another two runs in the same inning on a sacrifice fly by Dawson, then a double steal that allowed Myers to come home.
The final five runs scored came in the third inning for the Saints to be able to take a nine-run lead. With two outs,
Ashley Snyder,
Carson Hendrickson, and
Leah Vaughan loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Myers singled in the first run and then Hardin cleared the bases on an inside-the-park home run for her second home run on the season and four RBI.
Leah Ash continued her hot start by improving to 6-1after pitching four innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and a hit by pitch. Ash forced six flyouts and groundouts a piece.
Nina Bennett finished the last scoreless inning with two flyouts and a groundout.
Myers (3-3) and Dawson (2-2) both were perfect at the plate as Snyder also collected two hits. Hardin led the way with four RBI, as Dawson and Houseman both finished with two RBI a piece.
GAME 2: Aquinas 7, Roosevelt 4
The Saints started off the second game with a bang as Stafford hit her team leading fourth home run of the season over the left field fence that brought in Hardin for a 2-0 start. The Lakers responded with a run from a triple in the second inning to cut the AQ lead down to one.
Aquinas added two more runs in the third inning, beginning with an RBI single by Dawson down the left field line to plate Myers. Stafford collected her third RBI of the game on a single to left field to bring around Hardin. Roosevelt matched AQ in the inning with two runs of its own to keep the game close.
Three more runs scored for AQ in the fifth inning to push the lead out to 7-3. Houseman cleared the right fence on a bounce for a ground-rule double as Hardin scored her third run of the game.
Jordan Humitz created separation with a single up the middle for two runs as Dawson and Houseman scored. The Lakers scored the final run of the game in the sixth inning, giving the Saints a 7-4 win.
Grace Maguire did not receive a decision after pitching the first two and a third innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits and a walk.
Kayla Fessenden came out of the pen and settled things down by striking out six in her four and two-thirds innings of work. Fessenden improved to 5-1 after only giving up one run on two hits.
Hardin was on base all day after drawing two walks in the first game and three more in the second. Dawson had another two-hit game along with Stafford with the latter leading the team with three RBI.
Aquinas will finish out its spring break trip with two more games tomorrow (Mar. 12) against Dickinson State and Valley City State, with games beginning at 12:00 & 2:15 PM.
