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Box Score 2 Viera, FL – Aquinas spent the week in Florida fine-tuning its offense, defense, and pitching, and the Saints are heading home with plenty of confidence. Head Coach Brad Koch's squad wrapped up Spring Break with a 9-3 record, closing the trip with back-to-back wins over Florida National and St. Ambrose on Saturday.
Game 1: Aquinas 8, Florida National 5
Aquinas secured an 8-5 victory over Florida National in a game that heated up in the later innings. After four scoreless frames, the Saints broke through with two runs in the fifth before adding four more in the sixth. Florida National responded with a five-run bottom half, but Aquinas tacked on two key insurance runs in the seventh to lock down the win.
The Saints' bats found their rhythm late, racking up 13 hits in the contest. Katie Carlson led the charge with a double, a triple, and two RBIs, while Jaden Delchambre and Patrina Marsh each added crucial extra-base hits. Angelina Lanham kept the pressure on the defense, collecting two hits and swiping two bases to help create scoring opportunities.
On the mound, Raeann Drummond delivered a stellar performance, holding Florida National scoreless through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. She finished with 5.2 innings of work, allowing just two hits while striking out six. Ada Bradford entered in relief, closing out the final 1.1 innings to secure the win despite Florida National's late push. The Saints' defense also stepped up, turning a double play and limiting further damage in the sixth.
In the Numbers
Game 2: Aquinas 3, St. Ambrose 1
Aquinas rode a dominant third inning and a strong pitching performance to a 3-1 win over St. Ambrose, capping off its Florida trip with another victory.
The Saints did all their scoring in the third, stringing together three hits to plate three runs. Emma Houseman led off with a single, followed by a bunt single from Angelina Lanham, who also swiped second. Carson Hendrickson then came through with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Houseman. A defensive miscue by St. Ambrose allowed two more runs to cross, giving Aquinas all the offense it would need.
Sophia Pavese was in control from the circle, going the distance and allowing just one earned run on six hits. She struck out six and walked two, consistently working out of jams to keep the Saints in control. In the seventh, Pavese shut the door on a St. Ambrose rally, stranding two runners to seal the victory.
Inside the Numbers
- 9: Hits collected by Aquinas, with multi-hit games from Angelina Lanham and Katie Carlson.
- 3: Stolen bases for the Saints, including swipes from Lanham and Alea Fisher.
- 0: Earned runs allowed by St. Ambrose starter A. Harrold, as all three Aquinas runs were unearned.
- 1:46: Total game time, with both teams playing a crisp, defensive contest.
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Brad Koch is pleased with how the team performed ahead of WHAC play:
"We couldn't be more proud of our ladies for going 9-3 this week while facing a very tough schedule. We're playing some really good softball at the right time, heading into conference play next weekend."
Up Next
Aquinas will head home for some well-earned rest before turning its attention to the home opener on Wednesday. The Saints will host the Crimson Wave from St. Joseph in a doubleheader, with the first game set for 3:00 PM and the second at approximately 5:00 PM.
