Melbourne, Fla. — What a week Saints Softball has had.
First of all, no one who suffered through snow, sleet, high wind and the early week severe weather back home is going to complain about the consistent sunshine the Saints enjoyed in the Sunshine State. What may get lost in all that good weather, however, is just how well this Aquinas team is playing right now.
Following Saturday's doubleheader, the Saints improved to 18-4 on the season, finishing the week with a blistering 9-3 record during the Florida trip. A couple of those losses could easily have swung the other way as well, but regardless, AQ is heading home with confidence, momentum, and maybe just a little swagger as they prepare to open Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play.
Aquinas 2, St. Francis 1 (Game 1)
The Saints opened the final day of the trip with a tightly contested battle against St. Francis, ultimately delivering a dramatic walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh inning.
St. Francis struck first in the opening frame when a double put a runner in scoring position and a throwing error allowed the game's first run to cross the plate.
From there, Aquinas starter Sydney Bosgraaf took control of the game. The right-hander delivered one of her strongest outings of the season, scattering just three hits across seven innings while allowing only one run and striking out three.
The Saints evened the score in the fourth inning. Bella Asai reached base to spark the rally before Alea Fisher reached safely and later scored when the St. Francis defense misplayed a ball in the outfield, tying the game at 1-1.
The score remained deadlocked as both pitchers traded zeros through the middle innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Saints delivered the final blow.
Alea Fisher led off the inning with a single to right field to ignite the Aquinas dugout. Moments later, Abby Nieswender put the ball in play and forced the St. Francis defense into a hurried throw that sailed away, allowing Fisher to race home with the winning run and give the Saints a thrilling 2-1 walk-off victory.
Fisher finished with two of Aquinas' three hits and scored both runs, while Nieswender drove in the decisive run.
Aquinas 15, Fisher 2 (Game 2 – 6 innings)
If the first game of the day was a nail-biter, the second was anything but.
The Saints erupted offensively in the nightcap, pounding out 14 hits and scoring 15 runs in a six-inning mercy-rule victory over Fisher College.
Aquinas struck first in the opening inning when Gabriella Mezey singled, aggressively stole second and third, and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give AQ the early lead.
After Fisher briefly grabbed momentum with two runs in the second inning, the Saints responded immediately and never looked back.
In the third inning, Jadalyn Lopez doubled into the gap and later scored before Kenzie Greene helped push another run across the plate as the AQ offense began to heat up.
But the real fireworks came in the sixth.
Holding a 5-2 lead, Aquinas exploded for 10 runs in the inning, batting around and putting the game out of reach. Gianna Naccarato delivered a two-run single, Greene crushed a two-run double, Lauren Wilkins lined a two-run single down the right field line, and Meagan Postma capped the rally with an RBI double.
Nearly every Saint in the lineup contributed to the offensive barrage.
Greene finished with three RBI, while Mezey, Naccarato and Wilkins each drove in two runs. Lopez and Paige Metzger added multiple hits while Phoenix Shaw reached base several times as Aquinas kept the pressure on from start to finish.
In the circle, Ada Bradford turned in another strong performance, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out seven in the complete-game effort.
Saints Snapshots
• Walk-Off Start — Alea Fisher scored both Aquinas runs in the opening game, including the dramatic seventh-inning walk-off that sealed the 2-1 victory.
• Bosgraaf's Command — Sydney Bosgraaf delivered a dominant complete-game performance, allowing just three hits while keeping St. Francis hitters off balance all morning.
• Sixth Inning Explosion — Aquinas erupted for ten runs in the sixth inning against Fisher, turning a competitive game into a mercy-rule rout.
• Lineup Depth — Multiple Saints contributed to the Game 2 offensive surge, highlighted by Kenzie Greene's three RBI and two RBI performances from Gabriella Mezey, Gianna Naccarato and Lauren Wilkins.
• Trip Success — Aquinas finished the Florida swing with a 9-3 week and an impressive 18-4 overall record.
• Momentum Builder — With the Sunshine State trip complete, the Saints head home playing some of their best softball of the young season.
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Patty Jansen was ecstatic with the way her team handled the demanding week of games and believes the Saints are beginning to establish their identity.
"I'm really proud of how this group competed all week," Jansen said. "We played a lot of softball in a short amount of time and faced some good teams, but our players kept battling and supporting each other. You can really start to see this team forming its identity and learning how to win games in different ways. We'll enjoy tonight and celebrate a great trip, but once we get home our focus shifts quickly. Conference play is where the real work begins."
Up Next
With Florida now in the rearview mirror, the Saints begin the next chapter — conference play.
Saturday will not only begin the WHAC schedule, it will also mark the highly anticipated christening of the brand-new, state-of-the-art facility at the Meijer Sports Complex. The Saints will host perennial WHAC powerhouse Madonna in a doubleheader scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
If you can't be there, the games will be streamed live on the AQSaints YouTube Network, with Joey Sutherlin on the call.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Softball and all Saints sports.
