The #14 Aquinas softball team took on #20 Madonna in a top-20 WHAC doubleheader on Friday (Apr. 29) at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. The Crusaders shutout the Saints in game one 4-0, but AQ dug in and got the doubleheader split with the 5-1 game two win. AQ now has a record of 32-11 (13-7 WHAC) on the season, while MU is 25-7 (17-3) in 2022. In the last home game of the regular season, Aquinas honored two seniors in Izzy Dawson and Jordan Humitz prior to the games.

GAME 1: Madonna 4, Aquinas 0

The Saints faced one of the nation's best in the circle and only managed to get two hits, draw two walks, and got hit by a pitch once. Leah Ash (13-5) battled as much as she could for six and a third innings, but ended up taking the loss. The Crusaders scored one run in each of the third, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Ash allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks to go along with three strikeouts.

Nina Bennett finished out the seventh inning with a groundout and a flyout. Courtney Hardin got on base twice with a hit and a walk, while Izzy Dawson picked up the other hit for AQ.

GAME 2: Aquinas 5, Madonna 1

Aquinas drew first blood in game two with a run in the first inning. Hardin opened the inning with a walk and made it to third on a groundout and an error. Hardin and Dawson then executed a double steal attempt as Dawson kept the Crusaders' attention just long enough for Hardin to score.

Another two runs crossed the plate for the Saints in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Jordan Humitz hit a one-out double down the left field line to get the inning started. Leah Vaughan followed that up with an infield single and a stolen base to put runners on second and third. Emily Cline then hit a sharp single off the glove of the second baseman that brought in both runners to score.

Madonna was able to score one run in the third, but AQ got it right back in the same inning. Kaelyn Stafford laced a one-out single to center field and eventually stole second base. Vaughan got her second single of the game to drive in Stafford.

An insurance run was scored in the sixth inning by the Saints. Vaughan opened the inning with a walk, Halee Holman reached on an error, and another Hardin walk loaded the bases. Then with two outs, Dawson singled to center field that brought in Stafford.

Kayla Fessenden (14-4) pitched the first five innings and allowed the one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Vaughan came in from the bullpen in the sixth and ended up pitching into the seven, giving up one hit and three walks to go with a strikeout. Fessenden came in to finish the win by gaining two more strikeouts and a flyout to leave the bases loaded with the game-tying run at the plate in the seventh.

Hardin picked up another two hits and two walks in the leadoff spot in game two. Vaughan was the only other Saint with a multi-hit game as Cline drove in a team high two runs.

Aquinas will wrap up the regular season with a road WHAC doubleheader in Ann Arbor, Michigan against Concordia. The doubleheader will begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday (Apr. 29).