The SXU Softball team participated in the Saint Ambrose University Winter Dome Tournament this week and emerged victorious when it ended. Saint Xavier started the tournament on February 15th when they played the Missouri Valley College Vikings. The Cougars entered the game with a 6-0 record, while the Vikings entered the game with a 1-0 record.
Saint Xavier got off to a hot start in the first inning when first baseman Taylor Sterkowitz hit a single that drove in a run to put SXU up 1-0. However, it was all downhill from there for the Cougars, as the Vikings exploded in the bottom half of the inning for three runs.
The Missouri Valley pitching shut down the Cougars offense for almost all of the remaining game, but some hope came in the sixth inning. That was when Sterkowitz hit a solo home run to cut the Missouri Valley lead to just one run. However, the Vikings scored another run in the bottom half of the inning on a throwing error from the Cougars.
With one inning left, the Cougars needed two runs to keep the game going. They got one of them when catcher Brittany Schultz hit a solo home run. However, they could not get the second one despite getting a runner to third base. The Cougars fell to 6-1 with the loss, while Missouri Valley improved to 2-0 with the win.
After two straight wins over Aquinas College, the Cougars wrapped up the tournament on February 16th when they played the Saint Ambrose University Bees. Saint Xavier entered the game with an 8-1 record, while the Bees entered the game with a 1-2 record.
The Cougars got off to a hot start in the first inning when left fielder Morgan Haefling hit a single. Haefling then proceeded to steal every single base before scoring by stealing home. Taylor Sterkowitz then hit a sacrifice fly to increase the SXU lead to two to end the first inning.
The second inning started with a triple from SXU shortstop Tori Keilman. Keilman then scored on a wild pitch to increase the SXU lead to 3-0.
The third inning was even worse for the Bees as it started with a Brittany Schultz home run to put the Cougars up 4-0. Right fielder Toni Williams then walked, followed by a double from second baseman Lexxie Lux. Thanks to an error and a sacrifice fly, the Cougars scored two more runs and ended the inning up 6-0. The SXU pitching took care of things from there and the Cougars eventually won 7-1. Saint Xavier improved to 9-1 with the win, while Saint Ambrose fell to 1-3 with the loss.
The Cougars do not play again until March 7th, when they travel down to Kissimmee, Florida to participate in 12 games over the course of five days. The SXU softball team has gotten off to a great start so far, one can only hope that their momentum continues after this nearly month-long break they will take.