Adrian, Mich. — The Aquinas softball team picked up two road wins on Sunday (Apr. 2) at Siena Heights to improve to 21-9 overall (4-0 WHAC).
The away Saints topped the home Saints (3-18, 0-4 WHAC) by scores of 3-1 and 10-0 (5 innings) in Adrian, Mich.
Game 1: Aquinas 3, Siena Heights 1
A low-scoring opener saw Aquinas score two of its three runs in the first inning when an error in center field allowed Darren Roberts and
Courtney Hardin to score.
Leah Vaughan still picked up an RBI on the play on what was deemed a sacrifice fly situation regardless of the fielding error.
Siena Heights pulled one run back in the sixth on an RBI single to left field by Courtnee Chappetta. That turned out to be the only blemished AQ allowed in the doubleheader.
Aquinas starting pitcher
Leah Ash threw a complete game, only allowing four hits and that one earned run. She improved to 9-2 overall with a 1.29 ERA this season.
Roberts tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning with her second single of the game to bring in Hardin.
Carson Hendrickson also finished with a pair of hits for AQ and drew a walk in three plate appearances.
Aquinas finished with six hits total and left six runners on base.
Game 2: Aquinas 10, Siena Heights 0 (5 Innings)
The bats came to life for AQ in the rematch, as the Saints poured in 10 runs off 11 hits to enforce the mercy run-rule after five innings. Three runs were scored in the third inning, one in the fourth and six in the fifth to emphatically close out the doubleheader.
After Roberts knocked in
Kaelyn Stafford to score the first run of the game, fifth-year senior slugger
Izzy Dawson blasted her third home run of the season to give the Saints a 3-0 advantage. It was Dawson's 24th career home run, fourth most in program history and five shy of the school record held by Ashley Aspinall (2006-09).
Jaden Benschoter picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice in the fourth to increase AQ's lead to 4-0. Roberts, Dawson,
Alexa Kownacki and Stafford added RBIs, plus
Jessica Dobias scored on a passed ball, in the fifth to cap the scoring at 10-0.
Roberts, Hendrickson and Stafford each hit a double in the contest.
In the circle,
Kayla Fessenden picked up the win to improve to 6-5 overall with a 1.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP this season. Fessenden pitched four innings, allowing three hits and two walks, before reliever
Grace Maguire tossed a 1-2-3 final inning.
Up next, Aquinas takes on in-city rival Cornerstone on Monday (Apr. 3). The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. with the Golden Eagles being the host team.
