CHICAGO – Sophomore pitcher Lily Strand (Evergreen Park, Ill./Saint Louis/Evergreen Park) tossed a two-hit shutout to earn the victory in the circle in game one (6-4) and she nailed down her third save of the season to secure the win in the second game of the doubleheader to help the No. 22 ranked Saint Xavier University softball team (17-6/0-0 CCAC) come away with a pair of victories over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) in the home opener for the Cougars. Strand allowed a lead-off triple to start the game and a base hit to start the top of the 5^th, while her batterymate, sophomore catcher Natalie Johnson (Bourbonnais, Ill./Grand Valley State/Bradley-Bourbonnais) drove in three runs, including the game-ending RBI double in the bottom of the 6^th in an 8-0 triumph.

In the second game, Strand entered the game with one out in the top of the 7^th with the bases loaded. Although she walked the first batter to drive in a run, she induced a fly ball to shallow left field that was caught by junior outfielder Haley Matlock (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport), who fired the ball home to Johnson to turn a game-ending double play as Johnson tagged out the runner, the potential tying run, who tagged up from third base.

Game One:

• Johnson finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
• Junior outfielder Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Northern Illinois/Mother McAuley) was 1-for-3 with two runs, two stolen bases and an RBI.
• Junior infielder Mallory O'Connor (Bourbonnais, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Bishop McNamara) went 0-for-1 with two walks, a run scored and an RBI.
• Sophomore outfielder Aubrey Wroble (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) had a hit in three at-bats with two steals and a walk.
• Matlock was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a run scored and a stolen base.
• Strand posted a final line of 6.0 innings, two hits, no runs, five walks and four strikeouts for her third shutout of 2025.
• After allowing a lead-off triple, Strand fielded a bunt back to her to get the runner trying to score at home. She produced a flyout and a walk to load the bases before getting out of the inning with a fielder's choice.
• Crane reached base via a strike out to start the home half of the 1^st. She promptly stole second and third. One batter later, O'Connor gave SXU a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in foul territory to left field. She tied the single-season program record for sac flies, five, along with four other players.
• In the bottom of the 2^nd, freshman infielder Juliana Anderson (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) despite striking out, reached base on a wild pitch with two outs. Crane followed her by hitting a "Little League Home Run" as she legged out a bunt single and she scored on a throwing error that allowed Anderson to score.
• Johnson lined a two-run single back up the middle in the bottom of the 5^th and Crane lifted a sacrifice fly to center, extending the lead to 6-0.
• Junior infielder Kaitlyn Wright (Chicago, Ill./Marist) poked an RBI single through the left side of the infield and Johnson sliced an RBI double to the gap in right center to end the game in the bottom of the 6^th.

Game Two:

• Wroble had three hits in three trips to the plate, three stolen bases and three runs scored.
• O'Connor was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a walk.
• Freshman infielder Danielle Goodman (Poplar Grove, Ill./North Boone) went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and a run.
• Sophomore pitcher Hailey Wesner (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) made the start, recording a no decision after logging 5.1 innings with five hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and four strikeouts.
• Freshman pitcher Payton Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) picked up the win in relief (6-1), throwing an inning out of the bullpen. She gave up one hit, one run, two walks and she struck out two batters.
• Strand worked 0.2 with two walks for her third save, tied for second-most in single-season history at SXU.
• Johnson put Saint Xavier up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1^st on an RBI infield single.
• The Pomeroy's tied the game in the top of the 2^nd off an RBI double that hit the line in left field.
• O'Connor lined an RBI single in the bottom of the 3^rd to put the Cougars up 2-1.
• SMWC re-tied the contest with a home run to lead off the top of the 4^th.
• In the bottom of the 5^th, O'Connor pulled an RBI single past the first baseman to drive in Wroble for a 3-2 lead.
• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods would tie the game again in the top of the 6^th on a sac fly after Antkiewicz entered.
• Leading off the bottom of the 6^th, senior infielder Abbie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) drew a walk and she scored on Goodman's RBI triple. Sophomore pinch hitter Yalayzah Lovan (Pleasant Hills, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) sliced a sac fly down the line in right, near the wall, to put SXU ahead 5-3.
• Antkiewicz struck out the first batter she faced to start the top of the 7^th. A walk and a single brought Strand in. She walked two batters before Matlock turned the double play to end the game.

No. 22 Saint Xavier (17-6/0-0 CCAC) is scheduled to begin Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play on Saturday, March 29 when they take on Indiana University South Bend in South Bend, Ind. Game one is slated for an 11:00 am central first pitch.