Rockford, Mich. — The Aquinas baseball team continued its dominant stretch on Tuesday afternoon, hosting WHAC conference opponent Lourdes and extending its winning streak to eight games. Playing their second doubleheader in just over a day, the Saints showcased solid pitching, timely hitting, and all-around sharp play to secure a sweep of the Gray Wolves.

Game 1: Aquinas 9, Lourdes 0

Aquinas set the tone early in game one, as starting pitcher Hudson Lubbers delivered three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. The Saints plated their first run in the opening frame, capitalizing on a Lourdes throwing error to take a 1-0 lead. After adding single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Aquinas broke the game open with a six-run outburst in the sixth.

Dylan Nguyen was a catalyst at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, including a key run-scoring single in the fifth. The Saints strung together a series of quality at-bats in the decisive sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Nguyen, an RBI single from Aidan Schmuckal, and a sacrifice fly from Grant Martin. Defensively, the Saints backed up their pitchers with solid glove work, limiting Lourdes to just one hit in the contest.

Relievers Blake Waibel and Hunter Doyle each tossed shutout frames to seal the combined one-hitter, striking out six over the final four innings.

Inside the Numbers:

• The Saints out-hit Lourdes 14-1, with five different players recording multi-hit games.
• Dylan Nguyen led the offense, collecting three hits and two RBIs while scoring twice.
• The Saints' pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts and allowed just four base runners.
• Aquinas played clean defense, committing only two errors while Lourdes had three.

Game 2: Aquinas 8, Lourdes 4

The second game saw Lourdes take an early lead in the third inning, but Aquinas responded swiftly with a two-run single from Stephen Weinert to claim a 2-1 edge. Lourdes briefly tied it in the fifth on a solo home run, but the Saints answered in a big way in the bottom half.

Aquinas put up a four-run fifth, highlighted by Ramsey Bousseau's RBI double and Nguyen's two-run homer to left field. The Saints tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings, with Dawson Shearer delivering an RBI triple and Owen Graves adding a sacrifice fly.

The Saints' pitching trio of Mark Kalahar, Travis Weide, and Kaleb Mitchelson kept Lourdes at bay, scattering 10 hits but limiting the damage. Weide picked up the win in relief with two innings of one-run ball, while Mitchelson closed it out over the final two frames.

Inside the Numbers:

• Ramsey Bousseau scored three runs, reaching base in all three of his at-bats.
• Dylan Nguyen homered and drove in two runs, giving him four RBIs on the day.
• Dawson Shearer recorded two hits, including his clutch RBI triple in the sixth.
• The Saints played error-free defense in game two, while Lourdes committed one miscue.

Coaches' Comments:

An exhausted but proud head coach, Chris LaMange, reflected on the impressive stretch: "Another great day at the ballpark for the Saints. Four wins in a 26-hour window and an eight-game winning streak. We are tied for first in the WHAC at 4-0. I'm really happy with how well we played in all three phases – we will win a lot of ball games if we continue to play like we have the last nine days."

Up Next:

The Saints prepare for another busy weekend with doubleheaders on Saturday at UNOH (12:00 PM & 2:00 PM) and Sunday at home against Olivet (1:00 PM & 3:00 PM). Fans should monitor AQSaints.com for potential schedule changes due to weather.