FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University softball team closed out its season had the Crossroads League Tournament on Friday. The Cougars started to day by defeating No. 22 ranked Marian University 9-7 in an elimination game to continue their impressive postseason run and advance to the championship round before falling 5-4 in extra innings to the University of Saint Francis.
The Cougars close the season with a 33-23 record, marking their third 30-win campaign in the last four years.
In the elimination game against Marian, Spring Arbor showed resilience early. After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, the Cougars erupted for six runs in the second to take the lead.
Payton Grange,
Megan Bondy and
Grace Luby each delivered RBI hits to fuel the rally.
Marian answered with three runs in the fourth to regain the advantage, but SAU responded again in the sixth inning, scoring three runs to take a 9-7 lead.
Nicole Barbeau had an RBI single, and
Summer Ambler added a two-RBI double to provide the difference.
Emilee Underwood was strong in the circle, retiring the final six batters in order to secure the win. She went the distance, allowing seven runs while striking out five to earn her 20th win of the season.
The Cougars totaled 13 hits in the game, with Underwood leading the way with three. Barbeau, Bondy and
Brooke Meeker each added two hits.
The victory marked Spring Arbor's fourth win of the season over the nationally ranked Knights.
In the championship round, Spring Arbor needed to defeat Saint Francis twice to claim its first Crossroads League Tournament title.
The Cougars battled in a tightly contested game, with freshman pitcher
Alexyn DuBois holding the high-powered Saint Francis lineup scoreless through the first four innings.
Saint Francis broke through with four runs in the fifth to take control, but Spring Arbor answered with four runs of its own in the sixth inning. Ambler delivered the key blow with a three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4.
After a scoreless seventh, the game moved into extra innings. Saint Francis loaded the bases with two outs and drew a walk to bring home the game-winning run.
Grace Lentz recorded two hits in the game, while Ambler drove in three runs and Bondy added an RBI.
Spring Arbor's season comes to a close following a strong tournament showing and another successful year for the program.
