Des Plaines, Ill. – The No. 23 ranked Saint Xavier University softball team (0-2/0-0 CCAC) was swept in its doubleheader with No. 14 Madonna University (Mich.) in the season-opening contests for both squads Thursday evening at The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Des Plaines, Ill. The Cougars lost the first game, 8-0 in six innings, as they were limited to three hits. In game two, senior outfielder Haley Matlock (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and freshman infielder Sienna Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) had two hits in three at-bats with an RBI in her collegiate debut, however SXU lost 9-3.

Game One:

• Matlock was 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Sophomore outfielder Isabelle Poortenga (Dyer, Ind./Lewis/Lake Central) singled and drew a walk in her debut for Saint Xavier.
• Redshirt sophomore infielder Jazmyn Casas (Berwyn, Ill./Illinois-Chicago/Taft) collected a hit in three trips to the plate, also debuting for the Cougars.
• Junior pitcher Lily Strand (Evergreen Park, Ill./Saint Louis/Evergreen Park) made the start, lasting 4.0 innings and surrendering 10 hits, six earned runs, and coming away with a pair of strikeouts in the defeat (0-1).
• Junior pitcher Hailey Wesner (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) logged 1.2 innings of relief, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned), a walk and striking out two batters.
• The Crusaders plated a run in the bottom of the 1^st on an RBI infield single.
• MU added two runs in the bottom of the 2^nd with a two-run base hit. They tacked on two more in the bottom of the 3^rd, driving in runs on RBI fielder's choice's.
• An RBI double put Madonna up 6-0 in the bottom of the 4^th. The Crusaders ended the game in the bottom of the 6^th after a run scored off an error, followed by an RBI single.

Game Two:

• Senior outfielder Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Northern Illinois/Mother McAuley) had two hits in four at-bats with an RBI and a stolen base.
• Junior catcher Natalie Johnson (Bourbonnais, Ill./Grand Valley State/Bradley-Bourbonnais) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
• Casas was 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a run.
• Poortenga finished 3-for-4.
• Sophomore pitcher Payton Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) took the loss (0-1) after throwing 4.0 innings, giving up 12 hits, nine earned runs and posting a strikeout.
• Wesner appeared out of the bullpen, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing just two hits with a walk.
• MU sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the 1^st, scoring on a wild pitch, an RBI triple, an RBI double and a two-run home run, to go up 5-0.
• Sienna Antkiewicz lined an RBI single back up the middle to pick up her first collegiate hit and collegiate RBI, and Crane sent an RBI single to left to cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of 2^nd.
• Madonna responded with three runs in the top of the 3^rd on a two-run base hit and an RBI groundout.
• Matlock drove in her first RBI of the season on a fielder's choice to score Casas in the bottom of the 3^rd.
• The Crusaders capped the scoring in the top of the 4^th with an RBI single.

No. 23 Saint Xavier (0-2/0-0 CCAC) travels to Davenport, Iowa to compete in the St. Ambrose University Dome Tournament on Saturday, February 14. SXU takes on Missouri Valley College at 8:30 am, followed by a game vs. Clarke University (Iowa) at 10:45 am.