[Softball] SAU Softball on Spring Break trip

Thursday, March 8
Doubleheader at Cumberlands, canceled

March 9-10
NAIA Leadoff Classic
The NAIA Leadoff Classic was shortened to two days due to inclement weather forecast for Sunday.

Friday, March 9
No. 7 Georgia Gwinnett 5, St. Ambrose 4 - box score
St. Ambrose was unable to hold on to leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in starting its Spring Break trip with a 5-4 loss to No. 7 Georgia Gwinnett Friday. The Bees were plagued by five errors, leading to four unearned runs for the Grizzlies, including the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh. Lexie Carlsten hit a two-run home run as part of a three-run first inning for SAU. Christina Pembrook had an RBI single earlier in the frame, one of her two hits in the game. Carlsten was also responsible for the other Bee run as she reached on a two-out error in the third allowing Karley Kopaska to score. St. Ambrose had chances for more but stranded two runners in the third, fourth and sixth innings. Georgia Gwinnett rallied with single unearned runs in the third and fourth innings before winning it in the bottom of the seventh. Ella Specht was charged with the loss in relief of Ashley Yattoni.

No. 13 Ottawa 3, St. Ambrose 2 (8 inn.) - box score
Julie Trellicoso, Pembrook, Carlsten and Logan Frerichs each had two hits but No. 13 Ottawa scored two late runs to force extra innings before winning 3-2 in eight. Carlsten homered for the second straight game, a solo shot in the second, to give SAU an early 1-0 lead. Frerichs led off the fifth with a double to right and came around to score on Libby Munsterman's one-out double to right to push the lead to 2-0. But Ottawa came back with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings before winning the game on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth. Pembrook took the loss despite allowing just one earned run over seven innings.

St. Ambrose 5, No. 12 Campbellsville 0 - box score
Specht was dominant and Megan Ballegeer drove in three runs to help St. Ambrose to a 5-0 win over No. 12 Campbellsville. Specht allowed just two hits while striking out nine in the complete-game shutout. Ballegeer staked her to an early lead with a two-run double in the second. Katyn Pica-Johnson, who along with Kopaska had two hits in the game, scored one of her three runs in the fourth on a wild pitch after reaching on a one-out double to right. Sydney Engelhart had an RBI triple in the sixth before Ballegeer added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to complete the scoring.

Saturday, March 10
Thomas 8, St. Ambrose 2 - box score
The Bees committed eight errors in losing to Thomas 8-2. Thomas scored two runs in both the first and second innings and led 5-0 after four. Katyn Pica-Johnson hit a two-run homer to center in the fifth to cut the deficit to just 5-2 but the Night Hawks put three more runs on the board in the top of the seventh to seal the win. Morgan Krieger collected two of SAU's four hits. Christina Pembrook took the loss.

No. 22 Warner 1, St. Ambrose 0 - box score
Ashley Yattoni suffered the loss in a pitchers' duel as the Bees fell to No. 22 Warner 1-0. Yattoni allowed just five hits and one run over six innings. The St. Ambrose offense also managed five hits, two off the bat of Logan Frerichs. After stranding a runner in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings, the Bees missed another opportunity in the seventh. Lexie Carlsten drew a one-out walk but pinch runner Libby Munsterman was caught stealing. Frerichs and Pica-Johnson followed with two-out singles before Madelyn Thompson flied out to left to end the game.

No. 8 William Carey 10, St. Ambrose 2 (5 inn.) - box score
No. 8 William Cary scored four runs in the top of the first inning and St. Ambrose never recovered in losing its final game at the Leadoff Classic 10-2 in five innings. Pembrook had two of SAU's five hits and Julie Trellicoso scored both Bee runs in the loss, once on an error in the first inning and the other on Krieger's ground out in the fifth. Specht was charged with the loss. Sarah Willman struck out one over 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Wednesday, March 14
Doubleheader at Brenau, 2 p.m. CT

Thursday, March 15
Doubleheader at Reinhard, 2 p.m. CT