Davenport, Iowa – The Saint Xavier University softball team (7-3/0-0 CCAC) swept its split doubleheader to begin play in the St. Ambrose University (Iowa) Dome Tournament Saturday afternoon at the SAU Dome in Davenport, Iowa. The Cougars offense exploded for 24 runs as they defeated Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) in the morning game, 13-1 in five innings, followed by an 11-1 victory over Mount Mercy University (Iowa) in their second game in the afternoon. Junior infielder Mallory O'Connor (Bourbonnais, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Bishop McNamara) and sophomore pinch-hitter Yalitza Lovan (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) each collected five RBIs across both games with Lovan leading SXU with four RBI in game one and O'Connor adding four RBI in game two.

Game One:

• Lovan finished 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a walk.
• Junior outfielder Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Northern Illinois/Mother McAuley) had three hits in three at-bats with three runs, three stolen bases, two RBI and a walk.
• Sophomore infielder Aubrey Wroble (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) also went 3-for-3, along with two RBI, two steals and a run scored.
• Senior infielder Abbie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) was 1-foe-3 with two runs and two RBI.
• Senior catcher Lindsay Morgan (Huntley, Ill./Keiser/Huntley) had one hit in three trips to the plate with two runs scored, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base.
• O'Connor went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and a stolen base.
• Sophomore pitcher Hailey Wesner (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) improved to 3-0, working 3.0 innings and allowing just one hit, one earned run and a walk.
• Senior pitcher Julianne Claas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Hamilton) threw 2.0 innings of relief, giving up two hits, a walk and recording two strikeouts. She became just the 15^th player in program history to tally 200 or more career strikeouts after opening the bottom of the 5^th with a punch out.
• SXU plated eight runs to open the game. O'Connor drove in a run on an RBI groundout, Carr collected an RBI on a fielder's choice, Lovan added two RBI on a fielder's choice, a run scored on an error, Morgan hit an RBI single, Crane picked up an RBI on an error and Wroble hit an RBI bunt single.
• The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the 1^st on an RBI double.
• Lovan hammered an RBI double in the top of the 2^nd.
• Carr lifted a sacrifice fly in the top of the 3^rd.
• Crane and Wroble batted back-to-back RBI base hits in the top of the 4^th.
• Lovan added an RBI off an error in the top of the 5^th.

Game Two:

• O'Connor was 2-for-3 and she scored two runs.
• Carr also went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and two runs.
• Sophomore pinch-hitter Yalayzah Lovan (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) hit a Grand Slam in her lone at-bat.
• Wroble was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
• Sophomore pitcher Lily Strand (Evergreen Park, Ill./Saint Louis/Evergreen Park) tossed a complete game, moving her record to 2-3. She allowed just one hit, one earned run, four walks and four strikeouts.
• The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1^st off an RBI single.
• O'Connor tied the game with an RBI single, Carr ripped an RBI triple and she scored on a sac fly off the bat of Yalitza Lovan to put Saint Xavier up 3-1 after one inning.
• O'Connor picked up two RBI in the bottom of the 2^nd on a fielding error.
• In the bottom of the 5^th, O'Connor poked an RBI single, junior infielder Kaitlyn Wright (Chicago, Ill./Marist) drew a bases loaded walk and Yalayzah Lovan ended the game with her first collegiate home run.

Saint Xavier (7-3/0-0 CCAC) concludes play in the St. Ambrose Dome Tournament on Sunday, February 23. The Cougars play Aquinas College (Mich.) at 10:45 am and Mount Mercy at 3:15 pm.