Nationally ranked no. 19 Saint Xavier softball team opened up their season on February 10 in Brighton, MI., with a doubleheader against Oakland City University and Lawrence Technological University. The Cougars also played OCU and LTU in another doubleheader, the following day.
The team stormed out on opening day to two wins, first a 10-0 victory against OCU, then a 6-5 edge over LTU.
Sophomore, Alexus Reese, and senior, Lyda Robinson led the Cougars to the first win of the season. Reese went 3-3 in the first game with five RBIs, and Robinson went 3-4 with two RBIs.
Alyssa Frey and Jacky Holloway combined for 5.0 innings of pitching. Frey went 4.0 innings, recording six strikeouts and Holloway came in for the last inning, striking out two.
In game two Brittany Schultz drove in four of the six SXU runs, including the go-ahead in the top of the sixth inning when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Sophomore Laila Summers threw a complete game in game two, as she recorded five strikeouts and two earned runs over six innings.
Day two of opening week included a couple of pitching duels on Friday the 11. Laila Summers once again went the distance in the first game, recording three strikeouts over seven innings. While Julianne Claas threw 4.1 innings with one earned run and seven strikeouts, and Frey threw for 1.2 innings to close out the game.
The Cougars outbattled OCU again but by a much closer margin this time. The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when junior Morgan Haefling doubled to right center to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. The only runs they would need to win this game.
Game two was also scoreless through three until LTU junior, Katie Courneya, singled to left in the fourth, driving in two runners.
SXU didn’t go down quietly, Schultz homered in the top of the seventh to cut the lead in half, but unfortunately couldn’t push another run over the plate.
The Cougars are back in action on February 19 in Fort Wayne, IN., and are scheduled to play at the University of Saint Francis and Indiana Institute of Technology.
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