The Aquinas softball team won its 13th and 14th game in a row on Saturday (Mar. 12) over Dickinson State and Valley City State in Tucson, Arizona. The Saints first defeated the Blue Hawks in six innings by a score of 11-1 and then proceeded to defeat Vikings 8-1 to cap off the spring break trip. After dropping the first game in Arizona, AQ went on to win 14 consecutive games to set the program record for most wins in a row. The Saints are now 17-3 on the season.

GAME 1: Aquinas 11, Dickinson State 1 (6 innings)

The Saints started the day strong with four runs in the top half of the first inning to take a 4-0 lead. A lead-off double by Haley Myers and a single by Courtney Hardin scored the opening run. The next run came in after Kaelyn Stafford reached on a fielder's choice and the final two runs came around on a single up the middle by Leah Vaughan.

The only run scored by DSU was scored in the third inning, but AQ was able to come back and get the run back in the fourth on a double to center field by Stafford.

Leah Ash got the start in the circle and improved to 7-1 after pitching four innings and allowed one run on one hit and three walks. Ash was able to strikeout one, force four flyouts, and collect seven groundouts.

AQ scored three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Izzy Dawson hit into a sacrifice fly that scored Carson Hendrickson in the fifth, which was followed up by a single from Emma Houseman that plated Darrien Roberts and Hardin. In the sixth, Halee Holman crossed the plate on a fielder's choice, while Hardin doubled down the left field line to bring in Roberts and Myers.

Christyona Arballo threw the finals two innings of scoreless softball and only allowed two hits, while striking out one. 

Hendrickson finished a perfect 3-3 at the plate, with Hardin, Dawson, Stafford, and Houseman all collecting two hits a piece. Hardin finished with three RBI as Stafford, Houseman, and Vaughan all had two RBI each.

GAME 2: Aquinas 8, Valley City State 1

After the Vikings came out and scored the opening run, the Saints rattled off eight straight to secure the seven-run win. In the first inning Hardin was able to score as Stafford was caught stealing at second base.

Houseman tripled in the fourth inning that brought in Dawson to score, then Houseman scored in the next at bat on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. Hardin kept her big day going in the fifth as she collected an RBI single down the left field line that brought in Hendrickson.

The big inning came in the sixth for the Saints as the final four runs were scored. Stafford started the inning off with her team leading fifth home run of the season on a solo shot to left field. Jordan Humitz jumped into the action with a single to right center to bring in Houseman. Ashley Snyder scored on a wild pitch for the seventh run and then Arballo hammered a single up the middle to plate Hendrickson. 

Kayla Fessenden tossed her second complete game of the season to move to 6-1 after allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out five.

Aquinas returns to Michigan to play Cornerstone in a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 16) at CU, with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 PM.