SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Indiana University South Bend softball collected its their first wins of the season after sweeping Aquinas 9-4 and 6-5 at home on Saturday, March 13. With the victories, head coach
Natalie Newell earned her first collegiate head coaching nod.
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Game One: IUSB 9, AQ 4
IU South Bend wasted no time in the first game tilt, putting runs on the board scoring four of their nine in the first inning. Senior
Kat Bessler reached base on a fielding error by the Saint's pitcher before being brought home by a double from offensive powerhouse
Mackenzie Myars. Myars would eventually be brought home along with pinch runner
Emily Cave and
Shelby Baker.
The Titans held steady on the defensive end, never allowing more than one run in an inning for Aquinas. The Saints started to creep back, pulling within two, 6-4, in the top of the sixth but the Crimson and Cream would put a stop to any hope of a comeback.
IUSB rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three more runs including a homerun from Myars to left center to bring home Bessler.
The Saints registered runners on second and third but two back-to-back outs by stellar Titan fielding would finish the game 9-4 in favor of IUSB. Senior pitcher
Becca Stevens gathered her first win of the season.
Game Two: IUSB 6, AQ 5
Replicating game one, IUSB jumped out in front early after scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. Leading off for Titans was senior
Savanna Schmitz who reached first after taking a ball to the body.
Myars came ready to play again, as she hit her second homerun of the afternoon bringing home Schmitz. A double by
Brittany Vanderbrink would bring two more Titan players home making the score 4-0 in the first.
Titans entered the sixth inning with a confident 6-2 advantage but Aquinas was not going away yet. With the largest offensive threat of the day, the Saints rallied scoring three runs to narrow the Titans lead to just one.
With the tying run on second and winning run on first, a pop out to center fielder
Shelby Baker would end the inning and seal the sweep. Senior
Aly Brickel pitched all seven innings earning her first win of the season on the mound.
IU South Bend travels to Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, March 14 for a double header against Marian. First pitch is set for 1 PM with the second game to follow.
