CLINTON, Iowa- On a day designed to commemorate the careers of the senior members of the Ashford University softball team, the Saints didn't disappoint their largest home crowd of the year, splitting a two-game conference series with Waldorf College.
The Saints used a four-run first inning to set the pace in game one, winning 7-4 before falling in the finale, 14-2, in five innings.
Seniors Nichole Salazar of Minooka, Ill., Whitney Bauer of DeWitt, Alisha Parker of Camanche, Michelle Woolley of Peoria, Ill., Jessie Rosenow of Erie, Ill., and Kimberly Samples of Bolingbrook, Ill., were all honored after the game one victory.
"The seniors have played really well the last few games," said AU head coach Kyle Yore. "Offensively and defensively, the seniors played exceptionally well today and they earned the victory. They're a great group of kids that will be very hard to replace, and we're sad to see them go."
Sophomore Janelle Schroeder of Wheeling, Ill., started off the bottom of the first inning with a single to left field and would score two batters later when Rosenow singled to left field to put the Saints out front 1-0.
Rosenow was a combined 6-for-6 at the plate today after belting a home run in Saturday's sweep against Mount Mary College (Wis.)
Sophomore Nicole Schroeder singled to load up the bases before junior Kendra Roth of Salem, S.D., singled to right field, scoring Bauer, to make the score 2-0.
A pitching change for the Warriors couldn't stop the Saints' bats as RBI singles by sophomore Jessica Martin of Arlington Heights, Ill., and Salazar followed and before the inning was over the Saints were ahead 4-0.
Waldorf would get on the board in the top of the fourth inning after Jennifer McLarney doubled to the right-center gap. The next batter, Melissa Vance, would single to left to score McLarney to cut the Saints lead to 4-1.
Not to be outdone, the Saints added a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth. After Samples walked, Rosenow would add her second hit of the day, an RBI single to center, and the Saints led 5-1.
The Warriors brought the game within a score of 5-3 in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on an Amy Nelson homerun that cleared the center field fence.
The Saints responded in their half of the sixth when leadoff batter Salazar reached base on an error and advanced to third after back-to-back sacrifice hits by J. Schroeder and Samples. Bauer singled to left field to plate Salazar and the next batter, Rosenow, singled to left field to bring home J. Schroeder to make the score 7-3.
Parker would re-enter in the seventh inning to close out the game, and the game ended on double play when Vance lined up to Bauer, who threw it back to Rosenow at first to double up the runner for a game-ending double play.
"It's definitely nice to win on our senior day," said Parker. "Today was a team effort and everyone contributed for the seniors coming off two big wins yesterday. The rest of the team set me up in a good position to close the game in the seventh inning, and that shows everyone was at the top of their game."
Waldorf responded in game two, erupting for four runs in the first inning highlighted by a two run homerun by McLarney to put the Warriors out front early.
Bauer doubled to left field in the bottom of the first inning, and scored when Rosenow singled to center to cut the Warrior lead to 4-1.
Rosenow would add another single in the fourth inning and would score on a single to center by sophomore Cara Harmon of Westfield, Ind.
The Warriors would add runs in every inning en route to a total of 14 runs in game two. Andrea Blanchard recorded five hits in game two with three runs batted in and scored two runs.
The Warriors only needed five pitches to close out the Saints in the bottom of the fifth, and the game was called due to the mercy rule with a score of 14-2.
