ELGIN, Ill. -- The University of St. Francis softball team authored two near identical victories while scoring 12 runs and totaling 12 hits in each end of a doubleheader sweep of Judson University on Saturday afternoon at the JU Softball Complex. The Saints put together four separate multiple run innings on the day to earn 12-1 and 12-0 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference mercy rule victories, marking their 33rd and 34th wins on the season.
Three Saints among many that did not show any rust in their swings were
Kaitlyn Schofield,
Jaelynn Taylor and
Kamryn Koontz. Schofield delivered a three-run homerun to right field as part of a 3-for-3 day at the plate in Game 1, while Taylor also connected for a homerun - her tenth of the season - and posted back-to-back two hit games. She went 4-for 6 overall with four runs scored and five RBIs. Koontz joined in on the homerun fun with some fireworks of her own in Game 2 after the junior blasted her first career grand slam as part of a five-RBI game.
Game 1: USF 12, Judson 1 (5 innings)
The Saints (34-14, 20-7 CCAC) recorded 12 hits with five of nine starters producing multiple hits in the game.
Missy Saldana and Schofield led the way with three hits each, while
Sarah Viar, Taylor and
Isabella Landeros added to the hit parade with two apiece.
Schofield got her big day at the plate started with a three-run homerun in the first inning and followed with a single in the third after Judson (8-33, 6-21) plated its only run of the contest in the second frame. The junior pitcher added her third hit of the game - a double - in the fourth inning.
Taylor registered her two hits, a homerun in the second inning and double in the third, accounting for two of USF's 12 total runs.
Schofield went the distance in the circle, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out six, to improve to 15-8 on the season.
Game 2: USF 12, Judson 0 (5 innings)
After a quiet first two innings, the Saints put up back-to-back multiple run frames in the third and fourth innings before plating one more in the fifth to invoke the eight run rule.
Taylor got things going with a bases loaded 2-RBI double to start the scoring onslaught in the third inning. After Landeros connected for a single in the next at-bat to load the bases back up, Koontz then laid down the hammer four pitches later with her first career grand slam to mark the score at 6-0.
One inning later, Taylor again did the honors with another 2-RBI double, but not before
Kylie Cook plated the first run of the inning with a single to right field to score Saldana. Koontz and
Chylece Cluck later accounted for the final two runs of the inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies.
Hurst also had a RBI-single in the fifth inning to cap USF's scoring at 12-0.
Eight of nine Saints recorded hits in the outcome topped by Koontz's (1-for-1, 5 RBI) and Taylor's (2-for-4, 4 RBI) multi-RBI games.
Emily Boyle (19-6) gained the win in the circle while allowing just one hit in her four innings of work. She also struck out four batters opposite three walks. The lone hit permitted came with no outs in the first inning before the junior hurler retired 12 of the next 15 batters she faced.
Amia Aguilar worked the final inning in relief, with the freshman retiring three of the four batters she faced.
Up Next
St. Francis, who is currently receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, is off for the next four days before competing in the CCAC Tournament next Thursday through Saturday (April 30-May 2) at the Crown Point Sportsplex.
You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.
