FULTON, Mo. --- The University of St. Francis softball team continued its offensive roll Monday afternoon with another 17 runs scored in a 6-2 and 11-7 doubleheader sweep of William Woods University (Mo.). During their current seven-game winning streak, the Saints have averaged just under eight runs per contest.
St. Francis (12-2) really kicked it into high gear in the nightcap with five different players producing multiple hits as part of an overall 17-hit attack. For the two games combined, head coach Amanda Jensen's club produced 25 hits.
First baseman Kayla Garcia (GR/Chicago, Ill.) and shortstop Brittany Osborne (SO/Romeoville, Ill.) finished the day with five and four hits, respectively. Garcia also drove in a team-high five runs with Osborne, third baseman Danielle Callahan (JR/New Lenox, Ill.), and right fielder/pitcher Bridget McDermott (SO/Palos Heights, Ill.) all recording three RBIs each.
Hannah Vachon (JR/Oxford, Mich.) continued her stellar pitching, winning for the third straight game with precise control. For the season, she has struck out 33 batters against just three walks and one hit batsmen.
Game 1 --- USF 6, William Woods 2
Osborne and Callahan each drove in a pair of runs and they both did it in identical innings. The first time gave the Saints an initial 3-0 lead in the fourth inning, while the second time provided some insurance runs in the seventh after William Woods had cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Saints did coax ten walks in the contest topped by center fielder Carlie Benes (Valparaiso, Neb.) with four and designated player Madisen Tucker (JR/St. John, Ind.) with thee. USF, however, could not take full advantage of William Woods' wildness leaving 13 runners on base.
Vachon (4-1) went the distance for the second game in a row and produced identical strikeout (seven) and walk (zero) totals. Her other numbers on Monday included allowing seven hits and the two runs over seven innings.
Game 2 --- USF 11, William Woods 7
The Saints had three big innings, tallying three runs in both the first and fourth innings and five runs in the sixth. William Woods (6-12) countered with four runs in the fourth inning and three in its last at bat.
Osborne was the consummate leadoff batter for the second game in a row. After going 2-for-4 with the two RBIs and one run scored in the opener, she delivered two more hits (in three at bats) with three runs scored and another RBI in the nightcap.
Garcia had a bat in on each of USF's scoring innings, driving in runs each time to finish with a total of four RBIs on 4-of-5 hitting. McDermott was right behind with her 3-for-4, 2-RBI game.
Other multi-hit games came from Benes (2-for-5, 2 runs) and Callahan (2-for-5, 1 run, 1 RBI), while Kaylie Sippel (FR/Beecher, Ill.) authored her fourth straight pinch hit to drive in two runs.
Besides her hitting, McDermott also produced in the circle working the final 3 1/3 innings to gain her second win of the season against one loss.
The Saints are off until April 7 when they open the home portion of their 2021 season at the newly-renovated turf fields at the Harlow Lockwood Softball Complex.
