Grand Rapids, MI – Every game matters down the stretch, and Aquinas Softball is leaving nothing to chance in pursuit of the highest possible WHAC tournament seed. With only one week remaining in the regular season, Coach Brad Koch and the Saints are dialing in, determined to finish their campaign playing their best ball of the year. But as thrilling as Senior Recognition Day can be, it can also be a little distracting—and Defiance College came looking to play spoiler.

Game 1: Aquinas 4, Defiance 3

Fueled by clutch hitting and lockdown relief pitching, Aquinas opened the doubleheader with a gritty 4-3 comeback win over Defiance College (OH) on a crisp Saturday at the Gainey Complex.

The Saints drew first blood in the opening frame, as Emma Houseman crossed the plate on a chaotic defensive sequence after Carson Hendrickson was caught in a rundown. But Defiance (9-33) roared back in the fifth, stringing together a three-run rally capped by back-to-back RBI hits to snatch a 3-1 lead.

Unshaken, Aquinas flipped the script in the home half. Kenzie Jordan scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead, and Meagan Postma laced a clutch RBI double to tie the score at three.

Then, in the sixth, Jordan came through again—this time delivering a go-ahead RBI double to the right-center gap, scoring pinch-runner Jordan Benkhardt and putting the Saints on top 4-3.

Raeann Drummond (9-3) slammed the door shut, earning the win with 1.2 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief and a strikeout. Starter Sophia Pavese gave the Saints a strong 5.1-inning start, allowing five hits and striking out four.

Postma and Jordan led the offensive charge with timely extra-base hits, while stolen bases from Angelina Lanham and Patrina Marsh helped keep pressure on the Yellow Jackets' defense.

With the win, Aquinas picked up momentum heading into Game 2 and edged closer to the 25-win mark on the season.

Inside the Numbers (Game 1)
• Kenzie Jordan: 1-2, 2B, R, RBI
• Emma Houseman: 1-3, R
• Meagan Postma (off the bench): 1-1, 2B, RBI
• Raeann Drummond: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – Win in relief

Game 2: Aquinas 7, Defiance 6

It was chaos, grit, and a walk-off celebration in Game 2, as Aquinas erased multiple deficits to edge Defiance 7-6 and complete the sweep on an emotional Senior Day.

Despite being outhit 13-8 and trailing most of the contest, the Saints leaned on six Defiance errors and some heads-up baserunning to claw their way back. Sophomore right-hander Sophia Pavese stepped up in relief, allowing just one run over the final 3.2 innings to improve to 12-9 on the year.

The Yellow Jackets jumped out early, plating two in the first and adding single runs in the second, third, and fourth to build a 5-2 cushion.

Aquinas started chipping away in the third. Alea Fisher's RBI single trimmed the lead, and Meagan Postma made a savvy dash home on a delayed steal to cut it to 4-2. In the fourth, Carson Hendrickson delivered a clutch two-run single to even the score at 5-5.

Defiance nudged ahead again in the fifth, but the Saints responded in the sixth as Katie Carlson raced home on a wild throwing error to knot it at 6-all.

Then came the dramatics. In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and two runners on, Emma Houseman stepped to the plate and dropped a game-winning single into center, scoring Kenzie Jordan to seal the 7-6 victory.

Fisher and Carlson each tallied two hits, while Patrina Marsh reached base three times and chipped in an RBI. Pavese and the AQ infield held steady late, sealing the win with sharp defense.

With the doubleheader sweep, Aquinas improves to 26-18 overall and 11-9 in the WHAC—firmly in the mix with one grueling week left in the regular season.

Inside the Numbers (Game 2)
• Katie Carlson: 2-3, 2B, BB, R
• McKenna Hinkle: 2-4, SB
• Alea Fisher: 1-2, SAC, BB, R, RBI
• Sophia Pavese: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – Win in relief

Senior Send-Off

Saturday was more than just softball—it was a heartfelt farewell to the senior class and a salute to the families behind the scenes. Honored before Game 1 were Jaden Benschoter, Jaden Delchambre, Carson Hendrickson, Emma Houseman, Kenzie Jordan, Angelina Lanham, Alyssa Larson, and Sophia Pavese.

The celebration revealed more than accolades—it highlighted the tight bond of the team, four years of ongoing prank wars, and a shared appreciation for "the good, free food."

Coach's Comment

Head Coach Brad Koch acknowledged the intensity of the WHAC schedule and the resolve of his team:

"Nothing comes easy in the WHAC. They played well, and we just found enough determination and grit to get the job done."

Up Next

Aquinas wraps up the regular season this week with critical WHAC match-ups as the Saints push for a prime seed in the conference tournament.

Stay locked in at www.aqsaints.com for full recaps, stats, and all things AQ Athletics.