The Saint Xavier Cougars’ softball team is in their final week of regular season play right before they enter the CCAC tournament on May 5. With their pair of wins over Calumet College of St. Joseph, the Cougars claimed victory to the CCAC regular season title.
SXU’s schedule was loaded this past week, playing eight games between April 19 and 26. Yet the busy agenda didn’t slow the Cougars down, they swept all their opponents and currently own an 11-game winning streak.
The Cougars played Trinity International University on the 19, outscoring their opponent 21-5 between the two games.
Sophomore, Brooke Koran, recorded six RBIs that day, four coming from a grand slam–the first in her collegiate career–in the fifth inning of game two.
Julianne Claas and Alyssa Frey both pitched complete games to hold down TIU.
Saint Xavier’s next games weren’t until Saturday, the 23, when they matched up against Lincoln College.
On the Cougars’ ‘Senior Day’, they beat Lincoln by 10+ runs in both games, outscoring their opponent a whopping 27-2.
Claas and Laila Summers combined for one-hit shutout in the first game, while their offense provided 13 runs in five innings.
Lyda Robinson had a triple, two RBIS, and two walks, while Sarah Bowen had a three-run home run in the third inning of game one.
Game two was tied against Lincoln entering the fourth inning, but the Cougars broke the game wide open with a 12-run inning.
In that inning, the Cougars hit three home runs, one each from Alexus Reese, Maggie Bailey, and Kamryn Murphy. Murphy’s home run was an inside-the-park home run and was also the first in her collegiate career.
Frey and Summers held out strong against Lincoln College in the Cougars’ efforts.
The Cougars ousted Judson University in their final home games of the season on April 25. Once again, SXU run-ruled their opponents, beating them a combined 21-5 between the two games.
Brittany Schultz and Maggie Bailey homered and five Cougar batters had a multi-hit game in the first game of the afternoon.
Claas tossed a complete game, spreading out eight hits over five innings and allowing just two runs.
Game two started very differently with Judson jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but that was about all their offense would supply, only scoring one more run in the game.
Saint Xavier’s offense, on the other hand, stayed strong as the game went on, scoring runs in the second through sixth inning.
Bailey homered again while Robinson and Morgan Haefling had three hits each against Judson’s pitching.
Summers covered 5.2 innings out of the six they played, allowing just one run on six hits.
The Cougars’ second to last double-header of the season came against Calumet College of St. Joseph, another big set of wins for SXU.
Claas pitched all six innings of game one, allowing just two hits and striking out six CCSJ batters.
Robinson could not be kept off the basepaths in game one, creating many scoring opportunities for the Cougars, She went 4-4 at the plate and stole three bags in the process.
In game two, Reese found her way on base four times by also going 4-4 and scoring three runs.
Schultz homered to center for three RBIs in the explosive offensive sixth-inning for the Cougars.
Summers and Claas split the seven innings, allowing just three runs and a combined six strikeouts of CCSJ hitters.
The Cougars will be competing in the CCAC Tournament in Crown Point, IN, starting May 5, at the Crown Point Sports Complex.
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