University of St. Francis (III.)

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- A nightmarish seventh inning spelled defeat for the University of St. Francis softball team before an elimination bracket win kept its season alive as the Fighting Saints opened the 2026 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament with a 6-5 setback to Trinity Christian College and a 4-3 victory over St. Ambrose University (Iowa) on Wednesday afternoon at the Crown Point Sportsplex.

Five different Saints registered multi-hit games led by outfielder Missy Saldana who did it twice.  Saldana went a combined 5-for-7 with three runs scored on the afternoon, while Sarah Viar went 4-for-8.  Isabella Landeros (3-for-7, 3 RBI) and Kylie Cook (2-for-6, 2 RBI) each accounted for multiple RBIs on the day, while Jaelynn Taylor showcased a 3-for-7 day at the plate.

Game 1:  Trinity Christian 6, USF 5
The No. 2-seeded Saints in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament led 3-0 after six innings before No. 7 Trinity Christian (16-28) sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh inning resulting in six runs and a 6-3 lead.  Seven of the first eight Troll hitters reached base safely in the fateful inning via three singles and four walks – three of which occurred with the bases.

Walks were a problem all day for St. Francis with both of its two pitchers combining to provide eight free passes in total.

The loss offset a strong offensive showing by the Saints, who had 12 batters hit safely in the contest with three boasting multiple hits.  For the day, USF outhit Trinity Christian 12-7.  The Trolls only recorded one hit throughout the first five innings until they touched up Saint starter Emily Boyle for six hits over the last three innings.

Saldana had the biggest day of all Saints in the lineup going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored.  She accounted for the Saints' first four runs of the game (3 runs, 1 RBI) and also started USF's two-run rally one half-inning after TCC's six-run eruption with a double to lead off the final frame.

Boyle (19-7) suffered the defeat in the circle for USF.

Game 2:  USF 4, St. Ambrose 3
With the loss to the Trolls, the Saints (35-16) moved down into the elimination bracket where they faced No. 3-seeded St. Ambrose (30-19), who had previously lost its first round game to No. 8 seed Indiana University South Bend.

After falling behind 2-0 after four innings of play, the Saints got all of their scoring done in their half of the fourth and fifth innings and then watched as Boyle (20-7) teased St. Ambrose over their final three frames.  The Fighting Bees would put the leadoff man on in each of those innings, but could only score in one stanza.

Boyle, who worked out of two of those jams after leadoff walks, allowed a leadoff homerun in the seventh inning to bring the game to within one (4-3) before inducing a strikeout with the tying run at second base for the game's final out.

Five of USF's nine hits came bunched together between the fourth and fifth innings starting with Landeros' two-RBI fourth-inning double starting the four-run outburst.  The other two came on RBI singles from Viar and Landeros in the fifth.

St. Ambrose actually outhit St. Francis 11-9 but left 12 runners on base.

Saldana, Taylor and Landeros were the only Saints to register multiple hits, with each authoring two apiece.

Boyle (20-7) picked up her twentieth win of the year on the mound for St. Francis, marking just the twelfth time in program history for a USF pitcher to reach the milestone.

Up Next
The Saints, who are currently receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, will battle Olivet Nazarene University in another elimination game on Wednesday (April 30) at 3 pm with the winner playing the victor of the Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.)/Trinity Christian College matchup at 5:30pm.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.