Oakland City, Ind. - Saints split their series against the Oakland City Mighty Oaks today (Feb. 24). They started game one with two strikeout innings. Both pitchers remained consistent and had an impressive combined shutout game. The Saints scored all the runs for the first game in one inning. With tough pitching in the second game, it was difficult for the Saints to get the edge. Despite being ahead at one point, the Mighty Oaks ultimately pulled ahead, but not before AQ's own Grant Martin hit a two-run home run in the first inning. 
 
This moves the Saints to 4-4 in the season after today's result.
 
Game 1: Aquinas 3, Oakland City 0 
 
Connor Gausselin started for the Saints on the mound with a quick three up, three down inning, followed up similarly the next inning. He was a crucial piece in the game as he held the Mighty Oaks runs to zero as Gausselin and Mason Hill completed a combined nine-inning shutout. Hill finished off the last three innings of the game on the mound only allowing one person on base. 
 
Although the bats started slow, in the second inning, Chase Ingersoll got one through the second baseman but ended up getting thrown out on a steal. Things were quiet again until the top of the 4th inning when Ramsey Bousseau singled to left field. He too was thrown out on a steal to end the inning. 

Things got interesting when the bats got hot in the top of the 5th. Starting the inning, Nathan Wilcox hit a bomb to right field. JD Gillies moved Wilcox to second through a walk. Ingersoll had a SAC fly to the third baseman to move Gillies and Wilcox to second and third. Another SAC fly by Luke LaCross sent Wilcox home to score the first run of the game. 
 
With Ryan Gillings able to get on the bases and his pinch runner, Jayden Timmer, stealing second, the Saints were in a good position to score. Dawson Shearer got a hit to center field bringing in two RBI. This put the Saints ahead 3-0 by the end of the inning. 
 
The next inning started well with Mark Binkowski getting a hit to right field. Nicolas Verdugo pinch-ran for Binkowski and was able to steal second before the inning was up. 
 
In the bottom of the 6th, the Mighty Oaks got runners on, but the Saints were able to hold them at zero. This was followed by a good inning from the Saints, but LaCross and Shearer were left on base. 
 
After a great 5th inning, the Saints remained on top until the end with only one hit coming from Wilcox in the last two innings.
 
Game 2: Oakland City 8, Aquinas 4 (7 Innings)
 
Aquinas Started the game hot with Bousseau getting the first hit of the game, a single into right field. Not too long after that, Martin came up to the plate and brought both Bousseau and himself in with a homerun over center. This hit marked the first home run of the season for the Saints. That hit brought the Saints head 2-0 until the bottom of the 3rd inning where the Mighty Oaks reset the game, making it 2-2. 
 
A single in the second inning by Ingersoll was the only hit by Aquinas until the fifth inning. Verdugo was the first at the plate for the Saints. He singled to left and, while on base, stole second. Bousseau came in with a hot bat and tripled, scoring Verdugo for an RBI. Not long after, he scored through an error on the Mighty Oaks third baseman. Binkowski had the third and final hit of that inning. 
 
After the Saints brought the score to 4-2, the Mighty Oaks fired back in the 5th. They scored three runs this inning, one of which was a home run. 
 
Oakland City scored once more in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game to its final score of 8-4.
 
Pitching for the Saints were Zach Marshall and Martin. Marshall had five strikeouts and zero walks. Martin pitched the final inning and clocked in one strikeout and allowed no walks.
 
By the Numbers
 
Ingersoll went three for five today and had a remarkable .404 batting average. This brings his hitting percentage for the season to a .308. Bousseau and Binkowski went three for eight today with Bousseau having a hitting percentage of .409 and Binkowski having a hitting percentage of .248. Bousseau has an impressive .417 batting average through eight games this season.
 
Runs include: Bousseau 2, Martin 1, Verdugo 1, Wilcox 1, Gillies 1, Gillings 1
 
Up Next
 
The Saints stay in Oakland City and play another double header tomorrow (Feb. 25) against the Mighty Oaks. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.