Palos Heights, IL — With the Florida trip looming in the near future, the Aquinas Saints Baseball team continues to focus on fundamentals and consistency as they prepare for a competitive WHAC conference run in 2025. Coming off a tough opening weekend, Head Coach Chris LaMange and his squad traveled to Palos Heights, Illinois, for a doubleheader against Trinity Christian, looking to notch their first win of the season. The Saints battled through a tightly contested first game to secure their first victory but fell in a heartbreaker in game two despite an explosive offensive performance.

Game One: Aquinas 3, Trinity Christian 2

Both teams showcased strong pitching performances, but it was Aquinas who emerged victorious with a 3-2 win over Trinity Christian in a tightly contested opener.

Ethan Bowen got the start for AQ and kept the Saints in the game early, tossing three innings while allowing just one run on three hits, striking out three, and issuing no walks. Trinity Christian struck first in the bottom of the first inning, capitalizing on an error to push across a run. However, AQ responded in the second, as Drew Mitchell laced a single down the left-field line and Ramsey Bousseau followed with a single down the right-field line, each driving in a run to give the Saints a 2-1 lead.

Trinity Christian evened the score in the fourth inning when Shane Jones belted a solo home run to left. The game remained deadlocked until the seventh, when an error allowed the Saints to plate the go-ahead run.

Blake Waibel earned the win in relief, working 1.1 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out one. Grant Martin shut the door to earn the save, while Mark Kalahar also contributed solid relief work.

At the plate, Zach Hayes, Bousseau, Mitchell, Luke Lacross, and Aidan Schmuckal each collected a hit, with Bousseau and Mitchell tallying RBIs. The Saints were aggressive on the basepaths, swiping three bases, and played clean defense, turning a crucial double play.

Game 1 Standout Performances:

• Blake Waibel: Win in relief, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K
• Ethan Bowen: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 K, 0 BB
• Drew Mitchell & Ramsey Bousseau: 1-for-3, 1 RBI each
• Grant Martin: Save, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R

Game Two: Trinity Christian 10, Aquinas 9

Despite jumping out to an 8-0 lead, the Saints were unable to hold off a late surge from Trinity Christian, ultimately falling 10-9 in a high-scoring affair.

AQ's offense came out firing, plating three runs in the second inning and exploding for five more in the fourth, thanks to RBI hits from Will Kovl, Bousseau, Grant Martin, and Luke Lacross. However, Trinity Christian responded with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer from Brian Huttner.

Trinity Christian continued their rally in the fifth, tying the game at 8-8 with RBI hits from Hector Mendoza and Anthony Cappelletti. The Saints regained the lead in the sixth when Bousseau doubled home a run, but Trinity Christian capitalized on an AQ defensive miscue and a sacrifice bunt in the seventh to snatch a 10-9 victory.

Ethan Pequette got the start for Aquinas, delivering two strong innings of scoreless, hitless baseball with three strikeouts. Offensively, Bousseau led the way with a three-hit performance, while Lacross, Kovl, and Kasy Shadduck each recorded multi-hit games. The Saints were aggressive on the basepaths again, swiping five bags.

Game 2 Standout Performances:

• Ramsey Bousseau: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI
• Grant Martin: 2 RBI
• Ethan Pequette: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
• Eric Bryce: 2 SB

By the Numbers – Doubleheader Totals

• Total Runs: Trinity Christian 12, Aquinas 12
• Total Hits: Aquinas 19, Trinity Christian 12
• Errors: Aquinas 4, Trinity Christian 2
• Home Runs: Aquinas 1 (Lacross), Trinity Christian 2 (Huttner, Jones)
• Strikeouts (Pitching): Aquinas 12, Trinity Christian 12

Coach's Corner

Head Coach Chris LaMange reflected on the day's matchups, emphasizing the team's progress and the importance of closing out games, "Disappointed we didn't come out with the sweep, but definitely made progress from day one to day two. Now we jump into a stretch of 13 games in 11 days where we need to continue to make progress each day, as we continue to get ready for the WHAC conference play."

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