After starting the season with a 17-3 record, the Saint Xavier softball team looked to continue their dominance this week when they played Trinity International University and Roosevelt University, both in doubleheaders.
The Cougars kicked off the week on April 3rd, when they traveled to Wheeling, Illinois to play the Trinity International Trojans. The Trojans entered the game with a 8-16 record.
Saint Xavier got off to a hot start, with two runs coming in the top of the first inning, one from a RBI single from first baseman Taylor Sterkowitz, and the other coming from a sacrifice fly from shortstop Tori Keilman.
The next inning, the Cougars expanded their lead thanks to a RBI triple from second baseman Lexxie Lux, who scored two runs.
Two batters later, pitcher Amanda Ruskowsky scored another two runs with a single.
After a scoreless third inning, SXU got back to work in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs and pushing their lead to 9-0. After the Cougars scored twice in the top of the fifth and the Trojans didn’t score at all in the bottom of the fifth.
The mercy rule was applied and the game was called. The Cougars improved to 18-3 with the victory, while Trinity International fell to 8-17 with the loss.
Later that day, Saint Xavier shut down a Trojan comeback and won 6-3, exiting the doubleheader with a 19-3 record in the process.
Three days later, the Cougars came home to the SXU Softball Field to play the Roosevelt Lakers in a doubleheader. Roosevelt entered the doubleheader with a 7-24 record.
Saint Xavier kicked off the first game with Amanda Ruskowsky crushing a three run home run to put SXU up 3-0. The next inning, two Cougars runs scored on errors, increasing the SXU lead to five.
An inning later, Tori Keilman hit a RBI single to put SXU up 6-0.
Ruskowsky came through yet again in the fourth inning, scoring three runs on a single, but was out trying to stretch that single into a double.
After the Lakers couldn’t score in the top of the fifth, the mercy rule was applied and the Cougars won 9-0.
Later that day, SXU played Roosevelt in game two of the doubleheader. Roosevelt got on the board first, scoring on a sacrifice bunt to put the Lakers up 1-0.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning when the Cougars got their revenge. That’s when Lexxie Lux hit a triple that turned into an inside-the-park homerun thanks to a fielding error.
After shutting down the Roosevelt bats in the top of the seventh, SXU catcher Brittany Schultz hit a RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh to put the Cougars up 2-1 and win the game in the process.
Saint Xavier improved to 21-3 with their two victories, while Roosevelt fell to 7-26 with their two losses.
Saint Xavier plays six times next week, starting on April 12th when they play Cardinal Stritch University twice for Senior Day.
They then travel to Bourbonnais to play Olivet Nazarene University twice the next day. Finally, they wrap things up on March 14th when they travel to Normal to play Lincoln College twice.
The Cougars have gotten off to an amazing start to the season so far and can only hope to continue their success in the next week.
Chris Leonchik
Sports Editor