[Softball] St. Ambrose opens 2018 season with four wins

St. Ambrose got the 2018 season started with four wins at its annual Winter Dome Tournament in the Ambrose Dome over the weekend.

The Bees defeated Mount Mercy 6-5 and Aquinas 7-1 Saturday before beating Aquinas 11-3 in six innings and Judson 5-1 Sunday.

SAU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener. Trailing 5-2, the Bees loaded the bases on singles from Julie Trellicoso and Colleen Barrett and a walk to Christina Pembrook. Morgan Krieger followed with a two-run single down the left field line to trim the deficit to 5-4. Lexie Carlsten then singled in Pembrook to tie the game at 5-5. With two outs, pinch runner Logan Frerichs scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

The late rally made a winner of Ella Specht, who allowed four hits and one run over four innings in relief of Ashley Yattoni.

Trellicoso, Pembrook and Ryan Friend each had multiple hits in the opener.

The Bees pounded out nine hits, two coming off the bat of Frerichs, in the 7-1 win over Aquinas.

Barrett and Karley Kopaska had the big hits. Barrett hit a two-run double in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie, and Kopaska iced the win with a two-run home run to center in the seventh.

Pembrook got the complete-game victory, allowing five hits and one run over seven innings. She struck out seven.