MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Madonna University Softball Team kicked off their spring break trip as they headed to South Carolina to take part in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. They put the rest of the tournament's teams on notice with their first game as they absolutely pummeled Trinity International University (Ill.) 27-0 in just five innings before the mercy rule would cut the game short.

GAME 1:

Freshman Laci Harris would take the mound for the Crusaders to start the game, making quick work of Trinity in the top of the first inning, striking two batters out and allowing just one hit before Madonna would take over. Coming off her huge game versus Georgetown, Emily Theisen followed it up with a two-run triple in her first at bat, bringing Emily Biggott and Alissa Gauthier home. Theisen would get home herself before the inning came to a close off of a ground out to second, ending the first inning with a 3-0 Madonna lead.

After two more strikeouts from Harris, Madonna would quickly take over after just four Trinity at bats in the top of the second. In her first time at the plate today, Jessica Dunkel would rip a huge home run over the fence of left field, bringing Lucy Bennin home with her. It was an otherwise quiet second inning for Madonna, as they would end it with a 5-0 lead.

Trinity failed to even get a hit off as Madonna quickly shut them down in the top of the third. The Crusaders really took flight this inning, beginning with a hit from Emma Mossing that would bring Jenalee Herbon home for the score. Coming off her huge homer, Dunkel stepped to the plate next and was able to bring Gabby Toth home with a single. A two-run double from Elizabeth Savacool to follow brought both Dunkel and Mossing home as the Crusaders climbed to a 9-0 lead with no outs yet. A single from Gauthier would bring Savacool home on the next pitch as the Trojans made a switch at the mound.

It wouldn't do much for them, as Gauthier would make her way home soon after a wild pitch. Theisen stepped up to the plate once again, as this time a single to right field would be good enough for her to hit Biggott and Autumn Reed home to extend the Crusaders' lead now to 13-0. Theisen would make it home once again off of an error by Trinity's shortstop as the lead continued to grow. Dunkel would add on another RBI with a single to center field that was good enough to get Mackenzie Ming home. Savacool ripped off a two-run single to center field right after, giving Toth and Tauri Hintz the chance to reach home as the Crusaders now led 19-0 without an out in the third. Trinity would finally catch their first out off of a ground out to third, but Madonna still found a way to score as Gauthier made it home off of the hit. Theisen would tack on another RBI off of a single to center field, and later round home herself before the inning finally came to a close with a 22-0 score in the Crusaders' favor.

Jenna Gould would relieve Harris at the mound to begin the fourth and would shut down Trinity in just three at-bats, not allowing a hit. Madonna would continue to run up the score in the bottom of the fourth, beginning with Dunkel rounding home off of an error from Trinity's pitcher. A Theisen bunt allowed Madyson Roover to score her first run of the season as she made it home. Toth would cap off the inning with a huge three RBI triple to left field, which allowed for Theisen, Ming, and Reilly Johnson to all round home. As Trinity failed to get a hit off in the top of the fifth, the game would end in a mercy win for the Crusaders 27-0.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Theisen went 4-of-5 at the plate including a triple, scoring four runs and recording six RBIs.
• Dunkel went 4-of-4 with one home run, four runs, and four RBIs.
• Toth went 4-of-5 with two runs, four RBIs and a triple.
• Gauthier recorded three runs and four RBIs.
• Savacool went 3-of-4 with two runs and four RBIs.
• Harris recorded five strikeouts in just ten at-bats during her three innings pitched.
• 14 Madonna players scored this game.

GAME 2:

Following a slow first inning, the Crusaders showed what they can do as they began picking up in the bottom of the second. Bailey Martin got them started with a single to right field that allowed Jenna Gilbert to get home for the score. Soon after, Kelsi Littleton drove one straight down the right-field line for a triple that brought Jessica Dunkel and Lucy Bennin home. On the next at-bat, Kiana Morgan would hit Littleton home with a single. The inning would come to a close with Madonna now leading 4-0. 

Pikeville would rattle off two runs in the third inning, but that would be the only score they would see for the remainder of the game. Late in the fifth, Gabby Toth would bunt Dunkel home to extend the Crusader lead to 5-2. Morgan would pick up her second RBI in the sixth, hitting Dunkel home with a single to right field. The final score of the day would come from an Alissa Gauthier triple that brought Elizabeth Savacool home as the Crusaders closed out the game 7-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• Dunkel went 2-of-3 with three runs, leading the team.
• Littleton scored one run and recorded two RBIs.
• Kiana Morgan led the team in putouts with eight and tied for the most RBIs with two.
• Jenna Gilbert went 2-of-3, scoring one run.
• Maeson Schlaud recorded nine strikeouts and allowed just six hits through pitching all seven innings.

UP NEXT:

The Crusaders will continue their spring break tournament as they face Penn State Mont Alto on Sunday, March 5th at 3:00 pm.

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