Sylvania, Ohio – The Aquinas softball team kicked off the WHAC Tournament today (May 3) as the fifth seed entering the tournament. The Saints matched up with the No. 4-seed Madonna Crusaders in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament.
Aquinas and Madonna added another chapter to its WHAC Tournament rivalry as the Crusaders took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a three-run homer. Aquinas responded with a pair of doubles and a single in the top of the seventh to tie the game. However, the Crusaders got the bats going again in the bottom of the eighth inning to win 5-4. All three of the games between Aquinas and Madonna in 2023 have been decided by one run.
That result moved Aquinas into the elimination bracket with an unexpected matchup against the top-seeded Indiana Tech Warriors. The Warriors lost to the eighth-seed Lawrence Tech Blue Devils in the upset of the tournament.
Aquinas made that upset a shock as the Saints eliminated the top-seeded Warriors with a 1-0 victory in the first round of the elimination bracket.
Game 1: Madonna 5, Aquinas 4 (8 Innings)
Madonna was the first to score after Mackenzie Ming hit a solo home run over the left-center wall to give the Crusaders an early lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The Saints responded in the top of the fourth inning after
Carson Hendrickson reached base on a walk with one out. Speedy
McKenna Hinkle pinch ran for Hendrickson and flew around the bases to score after
Jessica Dobias ripped a two-out double into left center.
Emma Houseman kept the two-out rally going with a single through the middle of the infield. That base knock allowed Dobias to score from second and gave the Saints a 2-1 advantage.
MU took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth inning in dramatic fashion. The Crusaders put two runners on base with a pair of singles. Then, with runners on second and third, Autumn Reed hit Madonna's second home run of the game to put the home side ahead with just one inning left to play.
Houseman smoked a double into left-center with one out to get a rally started.
Courtney Hardin followed that with a double of her own to score a run back and then
Darrien Roberts kept the hit streak alive with a single through the heart of the infield to tie the game at four. Madonna forced
Izzy Dawson and
Haley Myers to fly out to center field to get out of the inning, but AQ managed to extend the game.
AQ threatened to score in the top of the eighth inning after
Leah Vaughan and Hendrickson started the frame with a pair of singles. However, Madonna managed to tighten up on defense and get out of the inning without Aquinas scoring.
The Crusaders then walked it off in the eighth inning after a walk, a single, and an error brought a run across the plate.
Kayla Fessenden pitched into the eighth inning for the Saints and allowed just six hits and four earned runs with a trio of strikeouts.
Houseman batted a perfect 3-3 at the dish with two doubles, an RBI, a run scored, and a walk.
Game 2 (Elimination Bracket): Aquinas 1, Indiana Tech 0
Leah Ash and Savannah Bravo started in the circle for the Saints and Warriors, respectively, with both sides fighting for their tournament lives. Both pitchers were locked in during the second game as the two teams combined for five total hits throughout the first four innings.
In the top of the fifth frame, Hendrickson collected AQ's best hit of the game to this point with a double into right center.
Kim Sosnowski then hit the ball towards the Warrior's third baseman who committed an error on the play. The error allowed Hendrickson to score from second to take a 1-0 lead. Bravo locked back in and forced three consecutive outs, but Aquinas was now in the lead.
Ash returned to the circle in the bottom of the fifth and provided the Saints with a much-needed one-two-three inning to maintain the slim advantage. She continued dealing into the seventh inning until the Warriors got a runner on base with no outs. However, Ash struck out a batter and then forced two groundouts to give her a complete-game shutout victory.
The Saints won the game 1-0 and Ash earned her 14th win of the season. She allowed just five hits while striking out three batters and forcing 14 groundouts.
Dawson ended the game batting 2-2 with a pair of singles and a walk. Hendrickson scored the lone run of the game.
Aquinas will return to action tomorrow (May 4) with a matchup against the No. 3-seed Concordia Cardinals in the elimination bracket.
