ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights softball team split with Aquinas in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The SHU Saints won the first game 7-4 before falling to the visiting Saints 4-3 in game two. Ashley Helmink broke the single-season record for triples in game one when she hit her eighth of the year.
THE BASICS
Final Scores: Game 1: Siena Heights 7, Aquinas 4 / Game 2: Aquinas 4, Siena Heights 3
Location: Adrian, Michigan
Records: Siena Heights (24-8, 9-1 WHAC), Aquinas (23-13, 6-2 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Siena Heights def. Aquinas, 7-4
Helmink drilled a two-out homer over the left field fence in the opening inning to give the SHU Saints a 1-0 lead. Kelsey Uhl extended the lead to 2-0 in the 4th-inning with a single that scored Helmink.
The visiting Saints cracked the scoreboard in the 6th-inning with a single that scored a run to cut the SHU lead to 2-1. Jordan Bianchi singled to right field and an Aquinas error gave her two extra bases allowing Hayley Turk and Kayla Boland to cross home plate and give Siena the 4-1 advantage. Lily Guerra pushed things 5-1 with a single up the middle to score Bianchi and Helmink hit a triple to score Guerra and Sam Hill for a 7-1 SHU Saint lead.
Aquinas recorded a three-run homer to left center to bring the score to 7-4, but Siena was able to stop the rally short by obtaining the third out to end game one.
Game 2: Aquinas def. Siena Heights, 4-3
A sacrifice flyball in the 1st-inning gave the visiting Saints a 1-0 lead early. Racquel Ward tripled to center field to score Helmink to tie things. Uhl followed with a single to score Ward on the next play to give Siena the 2-1 lead.
Hill increased the SHU lead to 3-1 in the 4th-inning with a single that scored Turk. Aquinas responded with a double to center that scored a run followed by a double steal to bring a second runner home and tie the score at three in the 5th-inning.
The game-winning hit game in the 6th-inning with a solo shot home run to center field turned out to be the difference in game two.
TOP SAINT HITTERS
• Helmink was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs in game one. She followed that performance up with a 3-for-4 showing with a run in game two to extend her hitting streak to 24 games.
• Jordan Bianchi tallied two hits in three at-bats with two RBIs and a run to contribute to the win in game one.
• Uhl tallied three hits in game two with an RBI.
• Hill was 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two.
• Turk also finished game two with two hits and a run.
SAINT PITCHING
• Ward (W, 13-3) pitched her 11th complete game with nine hits and four earned runs while striking out seven Aquinas batters.
• Uhl (L, 8-5) allowed 10 hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts in the losing effort.
OPPOSITION HITTERS
• B. Wila was 4-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs, and a home-run in game one to lead Aquinas.
• K. Whitcomb and S. Dawson led the visiting Saints with two hits.
OPPOSITION PITCHING
• M. Loya and K. Whitcomb combined to allow nine hits, three earned runs, and a home run in game one.
• The Loya twins pitched in game two and allowed 11 hits and three earned runs in the second game.
UP NEXT
The Siena Heights softball team travels to nearby Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, April 10 for a WHAC doubleheader against Lourdes. The first game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
