JOLIET, Ill. --- Bridget McDermott's opposite-field walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 1 and Madisen Tucker's two wins in the circle made for a historic day for the University of St. Francis softball team in its 3-2 and 6-3 doubleheader sweep of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Olivet Nazarene University on Thursday at the Harlow Lockwood Softball Fields.  Not only did the two wins net the Fighting Saints their first league title since 2018, but they also punched USF's ticket to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round May 15-17.

Watch: McDermott's Home Run: https://twitter.com/USFSaints/status/1651735779972972545

The Saints (31-7, 18-2 CCAC) rallied no less than three separate times on the day to keep their 14-game winning streak intact with game-tying runs in the sixth and tenth innings of the opener and a four-run fifth inning to erase a 3-0 deficit in the nightcap.

While home runs from McDermott and Danielle Callahan were clutch in Game 1, USF's defensive prowess was just as important in both ends of the twinbill from Kaylie Sippel's diving catch in the gap in Game 1 to Zoe Ditter robbing Olivet Nazarene of a home run in Game 2.  In between, there was Callahan snaring multiple lineouts, Ditter making a diving catch running in from centerfield and Gracyn Gabriel lunging to her far left to save a run from scoring.

Callahan and Sippel both had four hits on the day, while Tucker (11-1) recorded a pair of wins on the same day in the circle for the second time in as many weeks.

Game 1: USF 3, Olivet Nazarene 2 --- 11 Innings
McDermott ended the longest game of the season for the Saints – a two-hour, 38-minute affair – with her only hit of the contest, an opposite-field poke to right field to open the bottom of the 11th inning.  It was the second clutch home run in the contest for the Saints.

Callahan forced extra innings five frames earlier in the bottom of the sixth inning with her towering home run to left centerfield to account for USF's first run of the game.  Prior to that, Olivet Nazarene starting pitcher Kori Fricke (10-2) had retired 15 of the previous 17 batters that she faced and had given up just four hits, two of which came in the first inning when the Tigers got out of a jam.

Olivet Nazarene (26-14, 15-5) regained the lead in the top of the tenth inning when it had four of its first five batters single.  The Tigers, however, could push just the one run across the plate and left the bases stranded.  For the game, they left 14 runners on base, gaining just the two runs on 14 hits.

USF was able to respond again in the bottom of the inning with Brittany Osborne's double down the right field line and stolen base setting up the tying run on Gabriel's sacrifice fly.

Callahan finished the contest going 3-for-5, including a double and the home run.  Osborne and Sippel provided another two hits apiece.

Starter Hannah Vachon battled through the first ten innings, yielding 13 hits and the two runs, while striking out three batters.  Tucker worked the final inning to notch the win.

Game 2: St. Francis 6, Olivet Nazarene 3
The Saints overcame a 3-0 deficit after three innings by scoring four times in the fifth inning and another two runs in the sixth inning. 

Rose Mwaro started the first rally with her triple before Osborne brought her home on a sacrifice fly.  USF's other three runs in the inning all came after two outs and a pair of walks, not to mention a critical two-run error.  In between, McDermott made it a 3-2 game with her run-scoring single.

Tucker's solo home run to centerfield and Isabella Landeros' pinch-hit RBI double to right centerfield accounted for the insurance runs in the sixth inning.

Tucker also delivered in the circle, going the distance and allowing just four hits for her second win of the day.

Sippel matched her two hits in the opener with two more in the nightcap.

Notes: The conference title was the 13th in the history of the program for St. Francis … USF has now won 22 of its last 24 games and its 14-game winning streak is two short of tying the all-time record of 16 games set back in 2018 … Osborne extended her streak of reaching base to 15 games with her two hits in the opener and walk in the nightcap … McDermott has reached base in nine straight games aided by an eight-game hitting streak … The Saints wrap up regular-season play on Sunday at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus.       

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