Rockford, Mich. — I've written about it here on the AQSaints website, talked about it on the softball streams, Coach Patty Jansen has addressed it, and even the players can feel it: this 2026 Aquinas softball team has talent. The flashes they showed early in the season are still there, and Saturday at home was another reminder that the ceiling on this group remains very high.
The challenge for a young team is learning how to carry that talent through the grind of a long season, where confidence can rise or fall with every inning. If the Saints can bottle the energy they found Saturday and carry it into the WHAC Tournament push, they are absolutely capable of surprising people. Momentum starts with wins, and the Saints gave themselves exactly that with a clean doubleheader sweep over Defiance.
Game 1 — Aquinas 5, Defiance 4
The opener had the feel of a team learning how to win in the middle innings.
After Defiance struck first, the Saints wasted no time answering. Alea Fisher drew a leadoff walk, McKenna Hinkle punched a single to center, and the AQ running game immediately created pressure. Katie Carlson brought home the equalizer with a sacrifice fly before Bella Asai ripped a two-run double to left, giving Aquinas an early 3-1 edge.
The Saints kept adding pressure in the second when Hinkle singled again and later scored on a Jadalyn Lopez RBI knock to make it 4-2. Defiance answered to tie the game in the third, but that is where AQ showed maturity.
Emma Austin entered in relief and completely changed the tone of the game. The sophomore slammed the door with 4.2 innings of one-hit relief, striking out six and allowing the Saints offense time to find the winner. In the fourth, Hinkle once again ignited the rally, and Bella Asai delivered again with the go-ahead RBI single that plated the eventual game-winning run.
Hinkle was electric in the leadoff role, finishing 4-for-4 with three runs scored, while Asai drove in three, Lopez added an RBI, and Austin's relief work gave AQ the calm presence needed to finish.
Game 2 — Aquinas 7, Defiance 4
The nightcap brought even more of the confidence Coach Jansen has been waiting to see.
Defiance scored first, but AQ immediately answered when Katie Carlson laced an RBI single to center to score McKenna Hinkle. The Saints then broke the game open in the second, capitalizing on defensive pressure and aggressive baserunning. Alea Fisher reached on an error, Hinkle followed with an RBI single, and Carlson again came through with another run-producing hit as AQ surged ahead 4-1.
When Defiance tied the game in the third, the Saints never blinked.
Karigann Cuthbert started the answer with a single, Mallory Buikema moved the runners with a textbook sacrifice, Daniela Anzaldua lined home the go-ahead run, and Maci Willey followed with an RBI single to restore control.
Addy Buchin was steady in the circle, working all seven innings and giving AQ the type of composed complete-game effort that lets a young team settle in around its pitcher. Carlson stayed red hot with a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance, while Fisher, Hinkle, Anzaldua, Willey, and Cuthbert all played major roles in the balanced offensive attack.
Following the doubleheader, the Saints improve to 22-14 overall and 4-10 in WHAC play, while Defiance drops to 13-19 overall and 8-8 in conference action.
Saints Snapshots
- Momentum builder: AQ turned early offense into a full doubleheader sweep and the kind of confidence boost this young roster needs.
- Hinkle set the tone: McKenna Hinkle was the sparkplug all day, consistently getting on base and turning singles into scoring chances.
- Asai and Carlson delivered: Bella Asai starred in Game 1, while Katie Carlson's middle-order production carried Game 2.
- Circle strength showed up: Emma Austin's relief gem and Addy Buchin's complete game gave AQ stability all afternoon.
- Tournament belief growing: If the Saints keep stacking days like this, they become a dangerous WHAC Tournament team.
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Patty Jansen loved the progress but made it clear the work is far from done.
"This was a really positive day for our group because you could see the growth in how we handled pressure situations. We responded when they answered, we got key innings from the circle, and offensively we kept finding ways to create stress. The important thing now is not getting complacent. We have to take this confidence, keep working, and keep stacking good habits because this team still has another level it can reach."
Christy's Cause
Saturday's doubleheader also served as one of the most meaningful annual traditions in Aquinas softball — Christy's Cause.
Christy (Jaklinski) Paganelli helped put Aquinas softball on the map, starring as a hard-hitting catcher and cornerstone of the program's first-ever NAIA National World Series team. Her leadership, toughness, and championship presence made her one of the defining players in AQ history, and even after her passing in 2011 following a courageous battle with melanoma, her impact continues to shape the program every year.
The annual Christy's Cause game remains one of the most special dates on the AQ softball calendar, bringing together her family, former teammates, coaches, and the broader Wyoming Rogers and Aquinas communities to celebrate her legacy while raising money for cancer research and the scholarship established in her honor. This year's Christy's Cause Scholarship recipient is Katie Carlson, a fitting recognition for a Saint who continues to embody the work ethic, character, classroom commitment, and team-first spirit the award was created to celebrate.
Up Next
The Saints are scheduled to return to the Meijer Sports Complex on Sunday, weather permitting, to host the Gray Wolves of Lourdes in a WHAC doubleheader. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 1:00 p.m. If the game is postponed or rescheduled, we will update the schedule on the AQSaints Softball Schedule page.
The game will be streamed without commentary on the AQSaints YouTube Network.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Softball and all Saints sports.
