Davenport, Fla. — While the Aquinas official spring break doesn't begin until tomorrow, the Saints Baseball team got an early start on the trip Thursday afternoon at Northeast Regional Park Field #1. Aquinas opened its Florida slate by tangling with the Eagles of Judson University and wasted little time making the trip worthwhile, rolling to a 13–7 victory to secure the first win of the week in the Sunshine State.

Aquinas 13, Judson 7

Aquinas wasted no time jumping on the Eagles. After Dylan Nguyen reached base in the opening inning, Joey Hysell launched a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Saints an early 2–0 advantage.

The Saints continued to apply pressure in the third inning. Hysell singled and later came around to score when Kasy Shadduck delivered an RBI single. Moments later, JT LaMange ripped a double down the left-field line that plated Eric Bryce and Chase Robinson to stretch the Aquinas lead to 5–0.

On the mound, Sam Pollack set the tone for the Saints with a strong outing. The right-hander worked five efficient innings, allowing just two hits and one run while keeping the Judson offense off balance and earning his second win of the season.

Judson finally broke through with a run in the fifth inning, but the Aquinas offense answered again in the seventh. Nguyen singled to start the rally, and Hysell struck again, blasting his second home run of the afternoon to push the lead to 7–2.

The Saints kept the inning rolling when Bryce delivered one of the most exciting plays of the game, racing around the bases for an inside-the-park home run that drove in Robinson and extended the Aquinas lead to 9–2.

Judson chipped away with a few late runs, but Aquinas continued to tack on insurance. Nguyen again caused havoc on the bases and eventually scored after a passed ball in the eighth inning.

The Saints added three more runs in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the victory. Bryce singled and later scored, Mason Ruether drove in a run with a groundout, and Stephen Weinert added a sacrifice that plated another run.

Nguyen reached base again and eventually came around to score on an error, giving the Saints their 13th run of the afternoon.

At the plate, Aquinas pounded out 14 hits in the victory. Nguyen led the way with three hits and four runs scored, while Hysell finished with three hits and four RBI thanks to his pair of home runs.

Shadduck added two hits and an RBI, Bryce scored three runs and drove in two, Robinson reached base three times and scored twice, and LaMange chipped in with a key two-RBI double.

Landon Mueller and Brodie Gregory each added hits for the Saints, while Weinert and Ruether both contributed RBI as Aquinas used contributions throughout the lineup to secure the win.

Out of the bullpen, Kaleb Mitchelson, Walker Brockie, and Brendan Burch combined to cover the final four innings and help close out the victory for the Saints.

Inside the Numbers

• Aquinas scored 13 runs on 14 hits in the victory.
• Joey Hysell blasted two home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Saints.
• Dylan Nguyen collected three hits and scored four runs to pace the offense.
• Sam Pollack earned the win with five strong innings, allowing just two hits.

Coach's Comments

After game one (and rubbing in that he was enjoying the Florida sunshine while sending the quote), head coach Chris LaMange talked about the strong start to the trip.

"Big win to start the Florida trip for the Saints. Sam Pollack set the tone with five really solid innings to continue his great start to the season. The bats got hot as well, led by Dylan Nguyen with three hits and Joey Hysell with two big home runs. And I'll tell you this — hanging by the pool and enjoying the great weather is always a lot more enjoyable after a big W!"

Up Next

The Saints will take a page out of Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and "let's play two." Aquinas returns to action Friday with a doubleheader against the Defenders of Dordt University.

The games will be played in Auburndale, Florida, at Lake Myrtle Sports Park (Field #4), with Game One scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and Game Two at 5:45 p.m., both seven-inning contests.

Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, full coverage, and postgame recaps from around Aquinas Athletics.