Davenport, Iowa — After winning both games on Saturday, the Aquinas softball team went 1-1 on the second day on Sunday (Feb. 26) of the St. Ambrose Dome Tournament.
The Saints (6-5) lost a close rematch against (RV) Mount Mercy, 5-4, to start the day before shutting out Mount Marty 4-0 to conclude the two-day tournament inside the St. Ambrose Dome in Davenport, Iowa.
Game 1: (RV) Mount Mercy 5, (RV) Aquinas 4
Mount Mercy got some revenge from Saturday's 5-1 loss against the Saints with a walk-off win on Sunday.
AQ scored first on a two-run RBI double by
Leah Vaughan in the top of the first inning.
The Mustangs responded with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Two runners crossed home plate on an error and the third was brought in on an RBI single back up the middle.
Aquinas left the bases loaded in the third inning, but made the Mustangs pay in the fourth inning with all the bases occupied again. Both Vaughan and
Taylor Charon drew bases loaded walks to knot the score at 3-3.
After Mount Mercy went up a run in the fourth, Aquinas got another clutch two-out RBI hit from
Haley Myers to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning.
That's how the score remained until the bottom of the seventh. Then, with two outs, Allie Poston reached base on an AQ error and sprinted home shortly after on a walk-off hit to right field by Grace Cotton.
Vaughn went 3-for-3 with two doubles in a second straight game and also picked up two RBIs. Myers and
Darrien Roberts each collected a pair of hits. The Saints had eight hits as a team.
AQ starting pitcher
Grace Maguire went 1 1/3 innings before being relieved by
Kayla Fessenden. Both ended up giving up two earned runs, but it was Fessenden that picked up the loss despite striking out seven batters.
Jayna Witzany earned the win in the circle for the Mustangs, pitching a complete game with 14 strikeouts. She threw 165 pitches while facing 38 batters.
Game 2: (RV) Aquinas 4, Mount Marty 0
AQ starting pitcher
Leah Ash turned the Saints' misfortunes around in the second game by tossing a one-hitter to post the Saints' first shutout win this season. Mount Marty only reached base three times on the lone hit, one walk and one hit-by-pitch. Ash improved to 3-2 overall on the season.
Roberts scored AQ's first two runs in the third and fifth innings before knocking in the final two runs on a ground-rule double in the sixth. Roberts was one of four Saints to collect two hits (both doubles) along with Vaughan,
Carson Hendrickson and
Jaden Delchambre.
Delchambre hit AQ's second triple of the year, while Myers also had a double.
The Saints left 10 runners on base, but didn't commit an error for the second time this season.
Next up, Aquinas heads to Florida for a 15-game spring break trip from March 12-18 that is being held at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Melbourne, Florida.
