The Aquinas softball team finished competing in the WHAC Tournament in Sylvania, Ohio on Monday (May 9). After the semifinal game against #19 Madonna got postponed last Thursday with AQ leading 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning, the two teams picked up where they left off with the Saints winning 5-3.

Needing two wins to win the tournament championship, AQ got halfway there with a 7-3 over UM-Dearborn to force the if necessary game. Unfortunately, the Wolverines were able to take the final game over the Saints 2-1 to win the title. With two more wins today, Aquinas now has a 39-14 record tying the 2022 team with the 2009 team for the third most wins in program history.

GAME 1: Aquinas 5, #19 Madonna 3

When the game first started last Thursday, AQ jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning as Courtney Hardin reached on an error to open the game and Darrien Roberts followed that up with a walk. Izzy Dawson brought both runners in after roping a double to left center field. 

The Crusaders responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a one-run lead. Another Dawson double in the fourth inning set the table for Jordan Humitz, who hit her eighth home run of the season to give the Saints back the 4-3 advantage.

After the game was postponed to today, Humitz knocked in an insurance run in the fifth inning as Dawson scored, giving Aquinas the 5-3 lead.

Leah Ash (16-5) started the game back on Thursday and finished the complete game on Monday for the win. Ash allowed the three unearned runs on six hits and an AQ error, while striking out three.

Dawson and Humitz were the offense for the Saints as both collected two hits with Humitz knocking in three runs and Dawson bringing in a pair.

GAME 2: Aquinas 7, UM-Dearborn 3

Needing to force the if necessary game in order to have a shot at winning the tournament, Aquinas came out with a sense of urgency by scoring four runs in the first frame of the game. A Hardin single and another walk by Roberts put two runners on once again for Dawson as she stayed hot with her 10th home run of the season for a three-run shot. Ashley Snyder got in on the action as well with an RBI single as Kaelyn Stafford came around to score.

The Saints added another run in the second with Dawson knocking in her sixth run in two games after Roberts reached with a single. The Wolverines hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to get the run back and make the score 5-1.

With Carson Hendrickson reaching on an error and Leah Vaughan being hit by a pitch, Hardin made UMD pay with a double to the left center field gap to give AQ a six-run advantage.

UMD would hit two more solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings before the Saints secured the 7-3 victory. Kayla Fessenden (17-6) pitched the complete game win, giving up three runs on seven hits to go along with four strikeouts.

Hardin, Roberts, and Dawson all had two hits a piece in the first, second, and third sports in the batting order as Dawson drove in four and Hardin brought around a couple. 

GAME 3: UM-Dearborn 2, Aquinas 1

The final game of the tournament was a pitcher's duel and the scoring began with a Dawson solo home run in the third inning for her team-leading 11th shot of the season. UMD came back with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to quickly tie the game up.

The game was sailing until the sixth inning when the Wolverines were able to score the game winning run. The Saints did not get another baserunner after the third inning. Ash (16-6) took the loss in the circle, surrendering two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

Dawson had another multi-hit game, making it six straight games with two hits. That included four doubles and three home runs as she also had 11 RBI in the WHAC Tournament.

Aquinas will now wait for the NAIA National Tournament Selection show to see if its season will continue. That will take place tomorrow (May 10) at 5:00 PM and can be found HERE.