CHICAGO – The offense for the Saint Xavier University softball team (17-9/6-0 CCAC) produced 47 runs on 51 hits in a three-game series sweep of Trinity Christian College (Ill.) in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play on Tuesday and Wednesday. The series started with a doubleheader at the Schaaf Athletic Complex in Palos Heights that saw the Cougars win game one, 12-0 in five innings. Senior outfielder Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Northern Illinois/Mother McAuley) had three stolen bases and two RBI, and freshman infielder Sienna Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) added two RBI in the victory. Junior pitcher Lily Strand (Evergreen Park, Ill./Saint Louis/Evergreen Park) posted the win in the circle, moving to 8-5 on the season.

SXU collected a program record of 24 hits in the second game, an 18-3 triumph in five innings. It was the first time in school history that Saint Xavier had 20 or more hits in a game. Every starter had at least one hit for the Cougars, along with at least one run scored. Sophomore catcher Kacey Sterkowitz (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) tallied four RBI with a double. Senior outfielder Haley Matlock (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) and redshirt sophomore infielder Jazmyn Casas (Berwyn, Ill./Illinois-Chicago/Taft) each came away with three RBI, respectively, for SXU. Sophomore pitcher Payton Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) recorded the win (7-3).

Saint Xavier capped the series on Wednesday afternoon at the SXU Softball Field in Chicago, Ill. with a 17-5 victory in five innings. SXU pounded out 20 hits, the first time in team history that they have had 20 or more hits in consecutive games. Senior infielder Mallory O'Connor (Bourbonnais, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Bishop McNamara) collected five RBI with a pair of doubles, sophomore infielder Danielle Goodman (Poplar Grove, Ill./North Boone) smacked a two-run home run with three RBI, while Casas belted her fourth home run of the season with two RBI. Antkiewicz got the win in relief to improve to 8-3 in the circle.

Game One:

• Crane scored three runs with two walks after going 2-for-2 at the plate.
• Sienna Antkiewicz finished 2-for-2 as well with two runs and a double.
• Sophomore outfielder Isabelle Poortenga (Dyer, Ind./Lewis/Lake Central) plated three runs, drew a pair of walks and went 1-for-2 overall.
• Junior infielder Aubrey Wroble (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Strand pitched 3.0 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three batters.
• Freshman pitcher Alaina Peetz (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) worked 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, giving up a hit with two walks and two strikeouts.
• Crane opened the scoring when she stole third base and advanced home on an error in the top of the 1^st.
• Wroble put down an RBI bunt single, and another error brought two runs in for a 4-0 advantage in the top of the 2^nd.
• Antkiewicz legged out an RBI double and Crane hit an RBI infield single in the top of the 3^rd.
• The Cougars rallied for six runs in the top of the 4^th. Junior designated player Yalitza Lovan (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) lined an RBI single to center field, Goodman picked up an RBI when she was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, Antkiewicz and Crane hit back-to-back RBI singles, and Matlock drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

Game Two:

• Sterkowitz had two hits in three at-bats with a double, a run scored and a stolen base.
• Matlock went 3-for-4 with two runs and a steal.
• Casas tallied a pair of hits in four trips to the plate with a run scored and a stolen base.
• O'Connor doubled twice in four at-bats, scoring four times with an RBI.
• Poortenga was 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI and a double.
• Antkiewicz went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
• Crane stole three bases, scoring twice while going 2-for-4.
• Payton Antkiewicz threw 3.0 innings, scattering four hits with one earned run, two walks and a strikeout.
• Junior pitcher Hailey Wesner (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) logged 2.0 innings of relief with two hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out four batters.
• SXU jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the 1^st. Casas pulled a two-run single through the right side of the infield, O'Connor reached on an RBI fielder's choice, Lovan brought in a run on an RBI groundout, Sterkowitz collected an RBI off an error, Antkiewicz and Matlock added RBI base hits.
• Sterkowitz pulled a two-run double down the third base line to push the advantage to 9-0 in the top of the 2^nd.
• The Trolls got on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the bottom of the 2^nd.
• Saint Xavier plated six runs in the top of the 3^rd. Casas hit an RBI infield single, Poortenga lined an RBI base hit back up the middle, Sterkowitz and Antkiewicz each had RBI infield singles, and Matlock laced a two-run base hit back up the middle.
• In the top of the 4^th, junior outfielder Kadence Baccam (West Des Moines, Iowa/Lewis/Dowling Catholic) hammered an RBI double, junior infielder Yalayzah Lovan (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) smacked an RBI double and sophomore outfielder Natalie Gomez (Oak Forest, Ill./Lewis/Tinley Park) hit an RBI single.
• TCC scored on an RBI base hit and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4^th.

Game Three:

• O'Connor was 3-for-4 overall with a pair of runs scored.
• Goodman finished 2-for-3 with two runs.
• Casas went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.
• Yalitza Lovan had two hits in four at-bats with two RBI, a double and a run.
• Matlock collected two hits with two runs, two RBI, a walk and a stolen base after going 2-for-3.
• Crane was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI and a steal.
• Wroble also went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
• Poortenga tallied two hits, scoring twice with an RBI, a double and a walk.
• Antkiewicz doubled twice in four at-bats with a run scored.
• Strand made the start, throwing 2.0 innings with one hit, two walks and four strikeouts.
• Wesner logged 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing four hits, five earned runs, two walks and getting one strikeout.
• Payton Antkiewicz was credited with the win in relief after the tossed 1.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
• The Cougars rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the 1^st. Casas recorded an RBI in a groundout, O'Connor lined a two-run single, Lovan cracked an RBI double, Poortenga lined an RBI double, Goodman laced an RBI base hit back up the middle and Crane legged out an RBI infield single.
• Casas led off the bottom of the 2^nd with a long home run to the gap in right center. Goodman clubbed her second home run of the season, a two-run shot, over the wall in left center.
• Trinity Christian plated a run in the top of the 3^rd with a two-run double.
• The Trolls cut the deficit in half, 10-5, after a three-run home run cleared the wall in center field.
• SXU put seven runs on the board in the bottom of the 4^th. Wroble hit an RBI infield single, Matlock sliced a two-run base hits, O'Connor smashed a base-clearing three-run double and Lovan hammered an RBI single back up the middle.

Saint Xavier (17-9/6-0 CCAC) begins a three-game series with Indiana University South Bend on Friday, March 27 in South Bend, Ind. with one game starting at 2:00 pm. The series concludes with a doubleheader at the SXU Softball Field on Saturday, March 28 beginning at 12:00 pm.