Melbourne, Fla. — For college softball teams, a Spring Break trip down south is a lot like the Grapefruit League for Major League Baseball. The goal is to refine skills, shake off the rust from winter training, address areas that need improvement, and watch the team start to come together.
For the AQ Saints under first-year head coach Patty Jansen, the trip to Florida has sent a jolt of excitement and optimism through the program as the WHAC conference season approaches. Each day the Saints seem a little sharper, a little more confident, and a little more connected.
Put simply: Michigan weather, bad. Florida softball, good.
Aquinas 6, Trinity Christian 4 (Game 1 Friday)
The Saints opened Friday with a hard-fought victory over Trinity Christian, using a quick start at the plate and steady pitching to secure the 6–4 win.
AQ wasted little time jumping on the board in the first inning. McKenna Hinkle reached to ignite the rally and Daniela Anzaldua moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Katie Carlson then worked a walk before Alea Fisher lined a single to load the bases. Jadalyn Lopez brought home the first run with an RBI groundout, and Meagan Postma followed by reaching base to keep the pressure on. Karigann Cuthbert then drew a bases-loaded walk and Gabriella Mezey delivered an RBI single to push the Saints out to a quick 3–0 advantage.
Trinity Christian battled back and eventually tied the game in the third inning, but Aquinas stayed patient and waited for another opportunity.
That moment arrived in the fifth inning. Anzaldua started the rally with a single and Carlson again reached base to set the table. Fisher's aggressive play forced an error that allowed Anzaldua to score the go-ahead run. Postma followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Carlson, and Cuthbert delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to 6–3.
In the circle, Audrey Schindler gave the Saints a solid start before Addy Buchin came on in relief and closed things down. Buchin scattered three hits over the final 3.2 innings to earn the victory while the AQ defense made the key plays behind her.
Aquinas 8, Kent State 0 (5 innings) (Game 2 Friday)
The Saints kept the momentum rolling in the afternoon match-up, dominating Kent State in an 8–0 victory that ended after five innings due to the mercy rule.
While the offense produced another explosive performance, the headline belonged to the pitching staff.
Sydney Bosgraaf and Emma Austin combined to throw a five-inning no-hitter for Aquinas. Bosgraaf worked the first four innings, striking out seven and allowing only a handful of base runners while keeping Kent State hitters completely off balance. Austin finished the final inning to secure the historic performance.
Offensively, the Saints wasted no time putting pressure on Kent State pitching. McKenna Hinkle sparked the offense with two hits and used her speed on the bases, while Katie Carlson continued her strong day at the plate with three hits, including a triple and a double.
Abby Nieswender delivered a key two-run double during a six-run third inning that helped break the game open. Phoenix Shaw collected two hits and scored twice, while Kenzie Greene added a clutch RBI double. Maci Willey chipped in with two hits and an RBI, and Lauren Wilkins added an RBI single as AQ piled up 15 hits in the five-inning contest.
Following the pair of Friday wins, the Saints now sit 16–4 overall and 7–3 during their time in the Sunshine State, with two games remaining Saturday against St. Francis and Fisher before returning home to begin the grind of the WHAC conference schedule.
Saints Snapshots
• No-Hit History – Sydney Bosgraaf and Emma Austin combined to throw a five-inning no-hitter in the Saints' mercy-rule victory over Kent State.
• Carlson Continues to Rake – Katie Carlson led the AQ offense across the two games, collecting four hits including a triple and a double.
• Third-Inning Surge – Aquinas exploded for six runs in the third inning of the Kent State game to turn a tight contest into a runaway.
• Clutch Fifth Frame – The Saints reclaimed the lead for good with three runs in the fifth inning of the Trinity Christian victory.
• Balanced Attack – AQ recorded 15 hits in the nightcap, with contributions coming throughout the lineup.
• Florida Momentum – With the sweep Friday, Aquinas improved to 16–4 overall and continued its strong showing during the Space Coast Spring Games.
Coach's Comments
Following the pair of Friday victories, Head Coach Patty Jansen spoke about the continued growth of her team during the trip.
"We're seeing our players get better every day, and that's really the biggest goal of this trip," Jansen said. "They're learning to trust each other, trust the process, and play the game the right way. At the same time, we know there's still a lot of work to do. We're improving, but we're not satisfied yet."
Up Next
The Florida trip will conclude Saturday with the final two games of the Space Coast Spring Games. First, AQ will battle St. Francis at 10:00 AM, and after a quick breather the Saints will face Fisher with a 12:15 PM first pitch.
From there, the Saints will leave the ideal softball weather of the Sunshine State and return home to… well… typical March in Michigan.
But if the Saints keep swinging the bats and pitching the way they have in Florida, they might just bring some of that sunshine back with them — both to warm up the AQ faithful and to start climbing the WHAC standings.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Softball and all Saints athletics.
