Crimson Wave Softball picks up first win of season at NFCA-NAIA Leadoff Classic

Columbus, GA – The Calumet College of St. Joseph softball team started their season with a trip to Georgia for the NFCA-NAIA Leadoff Classic. The three-day trip from Friday, February 16 to Sunday, February 18 featured five games for the Crimson Wave, including a 12-2 win over Milligan on Saturday. 

Game One: Georgia Gwinnett 12, CCSJ 2 – 5 innings

In its opening game of the tournament, the Crimson Wave faced off against the No.4-ranked team in the NAIA. Georgia Gwinnett's stellar play was on display as they got out to a 7-0 lead within the first two innings.

In the third inning with the bases loaded, CCSJ was able to get on the board after an infield error by Georgia Gwinnett brought Kathryn O'Brien home and helped Aubrie Morales reach first base. Next at bat Kylee Slack would ground out to short stop, but would bring Roxanne Ines home to score the second run of the game.

Georgia Gwinnett would add on four more runs in the third inning to extend the lead and close the game out in five innings.

Kenzie Lanman took the loss at the mound for the Wave, pitching two innings, striking out batters and surrendering seven earned runs.

Game Two: Blue Mountain Christian 7, CCSJ 6

In the evening on Friday, the Crimson Wave found themselves in a game that would come down to the final play of the seventh inning against Blue Mountain Christian.

Trailing 2-0 after the fourth inning, CCSJ's Aubrie Morales hit a double to left field to bring home Roxanne Ines and Kathryn O'Brien to tie the game at two. Morales would eventually make her way home later in the fifth inning as Kylee Slack hit an RBI single to left field, giving Calumet College a 3-2 lead.

Blue Mountain Christian would respond and tack on four runs in the bottom of the fifth, along with one more run in the bottom of the sixth, to take a 7-3 advantage. 

In an attempt to come back, Calumet College left it all on the field in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two on base, Adelina Staden hit a single to center field that brought Ines home and brought the score within three. Next to bat was Alex Navarro who singled to second base and brought Morales home and cut the lead down to two. Jacci Piper, who pinch ran for Staden, made her way home after a Jacqueline Marquez single to right field, making it a one-run game at 7-6. 

The Wave almost completed the four-run comeback, but on the final play, Marquez was tagged out in an effort to make her way to second base.

Victoria Jenson pitched four innings and allowed six hits while Kylee Slack pitched two innings, struck out two batters and surrendered three hits.

Game Three: CCSJ 12, Milligan 2 – 5 innings

In the first game on Saturday afternoon, the Crimson Wave exploded for nine runs in the second inning and three runs in the fourth to earn its first win of the season, as well as its lone win in the tournament. 

Milligan got on the board first with a home run in the second inning before CCSJ took over. Alex Navarro and Kathryn O'Brien answered back with home runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead 2-1. With two outs, Roxanne Ines posted an RBI single to bring Ashley Meade home. Ines would score later in the inning after an infield error by Milligan. 

Navarro returned to the plate and hit an RBI double that brought Kylee Slack and Aubrie Morales home, extending the lead to five. Jacqueline Marquez later smashed a three-run home run, the fourth home run of the inning, to give the Wave a 9-1 lead heading into the third inning.

At the top of the fourth, Milligan hit another home run, but just like the second inning, CCSJ would respond with some runs of its own. O'Brien hit an RBI double that brought Navarro and Allison Gonzalez home. O'Brien would tag home base after a Meade base hit that extended the lead to 10. The run-rule put an end to this game in five innings played.

Roxanne Ines pitched all five innings and while she allowed six hits, she did strike out three batters. 

Game Four: Kentucky Christian 14, CCSJ 13 

Saturday evening the Crimson Wave were in a shootout with Kentucky Christian as both teams combined for 29 hits and 27 runs.

CCSJ scored five runs in the third and five runs in the fourth, giving them an 11-6 lead after the fourth inning. Kentucky Christian responded back with four runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to take the lead 14-13 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Unfortunately for Calumet College, they couldn't muster one more big hit as three straight pop ups would put an end to the game. 

Kathryn O'Brien finished with five RBI's and two hits while Aubrie Morales had two hits and two runs scored. Roxanne Ines and Jacqueline Marquez had two hits and two RBIs apiece while Kylee Slack had two hits and two runs scored. 

Victoria Jenson pitched three innings, allowing four hits while Kenzie Lanman and Roxanne Ines pitched four innings total and allowed 11 hits combined. Each pitcher had one strike out at the mound.

Game Five: William Carey 18, CCSJ 6 – 6 innings

In its final game of the tournament Sunday morning, the Crimson Wave faced No.23-ranked William Carey. 

William Carey got out to a hot start, scoring five runs in the second and third inning, taking a 10-0 lead. CCSJ fought hard and scored six runs in the fifth inning, only to be outmatched in the sixth inning as William Carey tallied eight more runs to end the game in six innings.

Emiley Stasko, Allison Gonzalez and Kathryn O'Brien had two RBIs each in the loss. O'Brien also hit the lone homerun in the game, which would make it her second homerun of the tournament. 

Kathryn O'Brien was named to the NFCA-NAIA All-Tournament team 

For her performance during the three-day weekend in Columbus, Georgia, freshman Kathryn O'Brien was recognized as one of the 23 softball players mentioned in the NFCA-NAIA All-Tournament team.

O'Brien accumulated a stat-line of two home runs, seven hits, 10 RBIs and six runs scored throughout five games. Head coach Dave Lopez said he was impressed and proud of not only O'Brien's performance, but her confidence as a freshman.

"For a freshman, there is always added pressure when you're competing, but she was on fire," Lopez said. "She hit the ball well, she was confident in herself and that's not easy to do. Both her and Aubrie Morales stepped up to the plate this first tournament and really did well."

Freshman Aubrie Morales had seven hits, four RBIs and five runs scored throughout the tournament.

Up Next 

CCSJ returns to action Saturday, February 24 as they travel to Oakland City, IN to take on Oakland City in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM CT.

Until March 16, the Crimson Wave's first home game at Whiting Sports Complex, CCSJ will continue to compete on the road throughout Indiana and in Florida for a week starting March 1. Lopez said regardless of the outcome, it's imperative that the team has challenges like this early in the season against ranked, non-conference teams. 

"Getting down the south and getting on the dirt is a big thing for us because of the weather up here, we can't always get on the field," Lopez said. "Making our schedule like this gives us that opportunity to play some of the best. … We're going to continue to see more ranked teams and that's what we want. It prepares us for our conference season, which will hopefully prepare us for a good playoff season." 

Calumet College will begin conference play on March 27 and the CCAC post season will begin on May 6.