Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Melbourne, Fla. – The Saints had a busy day today (Mar. 13) with a pair of games down at the Space Coast Complex. The Saints took on Dordt and Montreat in what became a series of defensive battles. Dordt got the best of AQ to start the day, sneaking past the Saints with a 1-0 victory. In the next game against Montreat, more phenomenal defense from Aquinas kept the Cavaliers scoreless as the Saints powered themselves to a 3-0 victory. 

Aquinas improved to 9-6 on the season after the two results.   
 
Game 1: Dordt 1, Aquinas 0

This game was a defensive battle between Kayla Kessenden and Abby Kraemer inside of the circle. Dordt generated a quick scoring opportunity in the top of the first inning after putting runners on first and second with just one out. However, Fessenden forced a flyout and a popout to get out of the inning unscathed.

Following the top of the first inning, neither team managed any offense until the bottom of the third inning. Carson Hendrickson started the bottom half of the inning with a single to center field and was advanced to second with a sacrifice bunt from Jessica Dobias.

A strikeout on the next at-bat had Hendrickson on second with two outs. Courtney Hardin walked and Darrien Roberts hit a single to load the bases with two outs. However, an unfortunate flyout from Izzy Dawson got the Defenders out of the jam.

Errors from Dordt nearly gave AQ a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but a throw from the second baseman managed to get Ashley Snyder out at home. A double play cleared the bases a couple of at-bats later.

Dordt finally managed to get to Fessenden in the top of the sixth inning. The Defenders strung together a double and a triple to score the first run of the game. Fessenden managed to get out of the inning after giving up the one run, but that single run proved to be the difference in the game.

Taylor Charon nearly tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a triple, but the Saints couldn't quite her across home plate. Neither side managed to generate much offensively in the seventh inning and the game ended 1-0.

Charon picked up two of AQ's four total hits during the game. Fessenden pitched all seven innings, generating four strikeouts and only giving up four hits.
 
Game 2: Aquinas 3, Montreat 0

The Saints played another defensive battle but came out ahead in this matchup. Hardin kicked off the game with a double to left field. On the ensuing play, she stole third and then scored a run after an error from the Montreat catcher.

Dawson followed that with a single to left and Charon moved Dawson to third with a double on the next at-bat. However, good pitching from the Cavaliers got them out of the jam and held AQ to just one run in the top of the first inning.

Grace Maguire received the start in the circle and was immediately impressive. After allowing a single on the first at-bat, she settled in to generate two groundouts and a popout to keep Montreat off the scoreboard.

The game quieted down after the first inning with AQ managing to pick up a few hits but couldn't quite manage to bring any base-runners home. Defensively, Maguire pitched a phenomenal game. She allowed just one hit from the second to the fifth inning.

AQ put a couple more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. Alexa Kownacki singled to center and Halee Holman reached base on an error to put two runners on base with one out. On the ensuing at-bat, Kim Sosnowski smoked a triple to right field to bring Kownacki and Holman around the bases. Sosnowski was left stranded on third, but the Saints increased their lead to 3-0.

Maguire allowed a couple more hits in the sixth and seventh inning, but good Aquinas defense kept the Cavaliers scoreless throughout the remainder of the game. AQ went on to win the match 3-0.

Dawson and Charon continued to play well into the second game with both players going two-for-four at the plate. Maguire finished the game with seven innings pitched, only four hits allowed, and three strikeouts.

Aquinas has another busy day today (Mar. 14) with games against Ave Maria, Dallas Christian, and Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.