LIVONIA, Mich. – Madonna softball opened play in the 2026 WHAC Conference Tournament in strong fashion Friday afternoon, defeating Aquinas 6–2 at University Field as hosts of their pod.
The Crusaders improved to 40–4 on the season with a complete team performance, combining timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and dominant pitching to secure the opening-round victory.
Aquinas struck first in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of a defensive miscue to plate an unearned run. Madonna responded immediately in the bottom half, as Ashley Rosiewicz delivered a solo home run to left field to even the score at 1–1 and quickly shift momentum back to the Crusaders.
Madonna took control in the second inning with a key offensive surge. After Carson Kuhlmann and Jessica Dunkel reached base, Faith Peschke came through with a clutch two-RBI single to give the Crusaders a 3–1 lead. The early offensive pressure set the tone as Madonna began to dictate the pace of the game.
From there, the Crusaders leaned on their pitching and defense. Camille Oyer was outstanding in the circle, limiting Aquinas to just two hits through six innings while keeping the Saints off balance all afternoon. Oyer worked efficiently, inducing weak contact and stranding runners to maintain the lead.
Madonna added insurance runs in the fifth inning to extend its advantage. Rylee Fitzpatrick delivered an RBI double to score Lucy Bennin, and aggressive baserunning helped manufacture another run as the Crusaders pushed the lead to 5–1.
The Crusaders continued to apply pressure in the sixth, as Rosiewicz came through again with an RBI single to bring home another run and make it 6–1.
Offensively, Madonna tallied nine hits in the contest, with Rosiewicz leading the way with two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Peschke added two RBIs, while Fitzpatrick contributed a key extra-base hit and RBI. Kuhlmann and Dunkel also recorded multiple hits to help fuel the offense.
In the circle, Oyer improved to 16–0 on the season, allowing just one run (none earned) over six strong innings while striking out two. Anna Battagin entered in the seventh to close out the game, allowing one run while securing the final outs.
Aquinas managed a late run in the seventh, but Madonna's lead proved too much to overcome as the Crusaders closed out the 6–2 victory.
With the win, Madonna advances within its hosted pod and will look to carry its momentum forward as WHAC Tournament play continues in Livonia. The Crusaders will face the University of Northwestern Ohio in tomorrow's Saturday matchup.
