The Aquinas softball team began the WHAC Tournament on Wednesday (May 4) in Sylvania, Ohio at Pacesetter Park. As the #4 seed, the Saints defeated #5 seeded Indiana Tech in the opening game 2-0. AQ moved on to play the top seed in Madonna and fell on a walk-off by a 3-2 score. Aquinas now has a record of 35-13 and will move on to day two in the double elimination tournament.
GAME 1: Aquinas 2, Indiana Tech 0
The Saints got a revenge victory against the Warriors after falling to IT twice in the regular season. The first run for AQ scored in the fourth inning after a
Jordan Humitz single, an
Emily Cline sacrifice bunt, and a
Carson Hendrickson walk put runners on first and third with one out.
Leah Vaughan came though with a single up the middle that plated
Breanne Adamczak, who was pinch running for Humitz.
The one and only other run for Aquinas came in the next inning off the bat of
Darrien Roberts. A solo home run to left field was Roberts' fifth blast of the season to give AQ an insurance run.
Kayla Fessenden (15-5) had everything working on the mound as she threw her second complete game shutout of the season. Fessenden worked around five hits and three walks, while gaining 12 flyouts, six groundouts, and two strikeouts.
Courtney Hardin and Humitz both got on base three times in the game with a hit and two walks for Hardin then two hits and a walk for Humitz. The only other Saint two have a multi-hit game was Roberts by going 2-4 at the plate.
GAME 2: Madonna 3, Aquinas 2
Facing the top seeded Crusaders started off strong as Aquinas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Roberts got the inning going with a one-out single and then Dawson brought her in to score on a double down the left field line. MU did respond with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up at one.
The Saints regained the lead in the fourth inning as Hendrickson set the table with a single through the right side and then stealing second base. For the second straight game, Vaughan collected an RBI single with this time giving AQ a one-run lead.
Unfortunately, Madonna was able to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to gain the walk-off win.
Leah Ash started the game in the circle and pitched the first six and a third innings with one run crossing the plate for Madonna. Fessenden came in to try and get the last two outs of the game, but was only able to get one and the game tying run scored while she was in. Ash (14-6) came back in with the game tied to get the final out, but gave up the walk off hit for the loss.
Both Dawson and
Ashley Snyder were 2-3 at the plate with Dawson and Vaughan picking up the RBI.
In a win or go home situation, Aquinas will now take on Cornerstone on Thursday (May 5) at 12:00 PM to begin the march to work through the bottom half of the bracket to the championship game.
