Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Royal Oak, Mich. – The Saints improved to 3-1 in conference play this weekend after sweeping UM-Dearborn on the road today (Mar. 17). Aquinas won both contests 11-6, including a massive six-run ninth inning in the second game to take home the pair of wins. The sweep also improves AQ back to .500 on the year with an 11-11 record.

Game 1: Aquinas 11, UMD 6 (7 Innings)

The Saints jumped on the Wolverines' pitching right out of the gates. Ramsey Bousseau's impressive freshman campaign continued today with a leadoff single. He stole second and Dawson Shearer immediately hit him home to put a run on the board.

Shearer proceeded to steal second himself and an error by the third baseman put runners on the corners. Mark Binkowski stole second, giving AQ's first three batters a stolen base, and putting two runners in scoring position.

Nicolas Verdugo, batting from the cleanup spot, remained hot this weekend and bit both runners in with a two-RBI single. Verdugo scored a couple of plays later to take a 4-0 lead.
Hunter Doyle pitched a couple of one-two-three innings before hits from Binkowski and Verdugo, along with a balk, scored two more runs for AQ in the third.

A pair of Aquinas errors allowed the Wolverines to score three runs in the fourth, but a JD Gillies sacrifice fly in the fifth got a run back for the Saints.

UMD added on another run in the fifth and the sixth innings to cut the Aquinas lead to just two runs. However, a massive four-run seventh inning from the Saints effectively iced the game. Doubles from Gillies and Bousseau, along with a Luke LaCross single brought in all four runs.

Hunter Doyle was credited with his first career win for the Saints after allowing just one hit over four innings pitched.

Game 2: Aquinas 11, UMD 6

UMD went ahead for the first time today in the bottom of the first inning. The Wolverines scored a pair of runs on a couple of hits, a walk, and a balk. However, that lead did not last long. Gillies and Chase Ingersoll walked and Grant Martin singled to load up the bases with no outs. LaCross singled to score two runs and then Bousseau singled to score another, giving AQ a 3-2 edge.

The Saints struck again in the third. Verdugo singled, stole second, and then got around the remainder of the bases due to multiple defensive errors. An RBI single from Ingersoll a couple of at-bats later put AQ up by three.

Following the third inning, both teams locked in defensively until the sixth inning when UMD scored two more to tighten the game. The Wolverines tied the game in the subsequent inning after a triple-single combination tied up the game.

Aquinas avoided a near-disaster in the bottom of the eighth inning. UMD loaded the bases with two outs, but a grounder to the shortstop prevented any damage from occurring. Rather, that damage happened in the top of the ninth with the Saints batting.

AQ scored six runs in a ninth inning that saw four Aquinas hits, two UMD errors, Jayden Timmer being hit by a pitch, and the Saints stealing second base four times. The Wolverines got one run back, but the onslaught of runs from the visiting Saints led to the sweep.

By the Numbers

The Saints were aggressive on the base paths all day and were rarely punished. AQ stole 16 bases on 17 attempts with Bousseau (5), Verdugo (3), and Dawson Shearer (3) leading the way.

Bousseau had an incredible day all around, going 5-9 at the plate with a double, four RBIs, and a walk.

Verdugo, Martin, LaCross, and Shearer all recorded multiple hits today.

Up Next

Aquinas is back at Davenport's Farmer's Insurance Athletic Complex next weekend (Mar. 23-24) with a four-game series against Lawrence Tech. The doubleheader on both days is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.