Alexus Reese batting against Georgia Gwinnett SXU Athletics
The Saint Xavier University softball team competed in two tournaments in the first week of March, splitting the eight games they played. The Cougars were scheduled to play 12 games between the tournaments, but four were canceled due to inclement weather.
SXU won all four games in the first tournament but fell short in the next four.
After a month of play, Saint Xavier is 10-8 (.556); they’re 10-2 in neutral games and winless on the road (0-6).
Gulf Shores Tournament (Gulf Shores, AL.) : 4-0
Senior Laila Summers was the winning pitcher in three games, tossing 13.2 innings with 14 strikeouts.
Senior infielder Alexus Reese was once again a force at the plate, collecting three doubles and driving in six runs in the four games.
Following the Friday rainouts No. 24 SXU took on No. 23 William Carey University, winning 8-0 in five innings.
Junior catcher Lindsey Morgan went 3-3 and Reese drove in three runs.
Summers tossed all five innings, allowing two hits and collecting two strikeouts.
Against No. 21 Reinhardt University, junior Julianne Claas got the start and Summers came in relief and got the win after 3.2 innings of work.
Sophomore infielder Kaitlyn Wright went 2-4 with a double and an RBI; she also scored two runs and stole a base.
In game three versus No. 16 Middle Georgia State University, Claas tossed a complete game, giving up four hits and four runs (one earned).
The SXU offense took advantage of five MGSU errors and broke the game open in the fifth with four runs.
Freshman outfielder Aubrey Wroble led the offense with a 4-4 performance that included a run and a stolen base.
Saint Xavier’s last game of the tournament was against Campbellsville University, a dominant 8-2 victory.
Summers went the distance, allowing two runs on six hits and struck out eight.
Sophomore Taylor Becker was 2-3 with a double, three RBIs, and a walk.
Spring Break Tournament (Lawrenceville, GA.): 0-4
Saint Xavier took on No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett College and Reinhardt University; following the Gulf Shores Tournament, RU was now No. 25.
Their first games were against GGC in a twin bill on Tuesday the 5. Saint Xavier hung in against the top-five team but evidently could not pull out a win, losing 4-3 in extras and 1-0.
The SXU defense had two errors in the game, each resulting in runs, which were the difference makers in the game.
Summers lost game one, allowing four runs (one earned) and striking out seven.
Saint Xavier’s offense got it going early, scoring two in the first and holding a lead through five innings. Unfortunately Gwinnett walked it off in the eighth.
Reese was 2-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a walk, while senior infielder Brooke Koran was 1-3 with an RBI double, a walk, and a run scored.
Game two was more tightly contested, the only run of the game coming in the fifth.
Claas also threw a complete game striking out five, but allowed four free passes as well as a hit by pitch.
After Wednesday’s games were canceled, the Cougars took on Reinhardt again, this time falling short.
SXU’s offense struggled to produce against the Eagles’ pitching, recording only five hits and one run between the two games.
Their only run against RU came in game one off the bat of Wright who drove in Wroble with a single.
The Eagles had Summers figured out and tallied 12 hits over six innings. Although she only gave up four runs, it was more than enough for RU to win.
SXU hoped to claim at least one win in their last game but were shutout and only produced two hits.
Claas got the last start of the tournament, giving up seven hits and three runs in six innings. She recorded one strikeout and allowed three walks.
Reese and sophomore outfielder Hayley Matlock had the only hits of the game.
The Cougars have played well so far, staying in games and going head-to-head with some of the best in the NAIA.
An area that may be a point of concern for some is the offense’s power numbers. Despite producing a lot of runs, the Cougars have yet to hit a home run through 18 games.
Hitting home runs is a great part of the game and can create momentum shifts, SXU has a strong, crafty offense that finds plenty of ways to score.
Their next games are a double header on Sunday the 17 against Lawrence Tech at Noon and 2:00 p.m. at the SXU Softball Field.