SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 7, 2021) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) softball team hosted the OLLU Nationwide Classic as part of their first home games of the season. The field featured Ottawa University-Arizona (OUAZ), University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) and Bellevue University (BU). The Saints played five games and finished 2-3.

Head Coach Bruce Lenington said, "I'm very proud of how our players played. These teams we faced have a track record of playing at a national level. For us to pick up a couple wins was big for us. We are excited about the rest of the season and would like to thank Nationwide and all the participants for making it a great weekend."

vs. OUAZ (Feb. 5)

The Saints started the season with a 5-3 win over the Spirit. OLLU trailed 3-1 after three innings. In the bottom of the fourth Joanna Gonzalez (JR/San Benito, Texas) cut the deficit to one with a home run over the center field wall. The Saints took the lead in the bottom of the fifth by scoring three runs. Gonzalez drove in two runs and Deandra Vera (SO/Uvalde, Texas) scored after Julissa Moreno (SO/Austin, Texas) was hit by a pitch. The explosive offense in the inning led to the 5-3 victory.

vs. BU (Feb. 5)

Bellevue started strong by taking a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning the Saints scored three runs to tie the game. Kaylie Norris (SO/Schertz, Texas) scored on a missed catch and Eneli Garza (FR/La Feria, Texas) hit a sacrifice fly to score Katelyn Esparza (SO/San Antonio, Texas). Kennah Kennedy (SR/Frost, Texas) scored on a misplayed grounder shortly after. The Bruins scored three in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-3 lead. The Saints fell short of a comeback by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Madison Nunn (JR/Cibolo, Texas) doubled to score Kaili Luna (FR/Converse, Texas) and Garza. The Bruins won 6-5 in a very close game.

vs. BU (Feb. 6)

The Bruins took the first game on Saturday 4-1. Abigail Elizondo (FR/San Antonio, Texas) went 2-for-2 at the plate with a double. Angela Ramirez (JR/Converse, Texas) pitched all seven innings and struck out five batters. Emily Rochford was the winning pitcher for Bellevue. Lauren Jurek pitched six innings for the Bruins and allowed three hits. All five runs of the game were scored in the first three innings.

vs. OUAZ (Feb. 6)

The offense for both teams exploded in the Saints fourth game of the OLLU Nationwide Classic. The Spirit scored three runs in the top of the first inning and the Saints responded with four. Alexis Valdez (SO/Seguin, Texas) drove in two runners and Ariel Montgomery (JR/Castroville, Texas) scored on a wild throw. Valdez scored shortly after on a Katelyn Esparza double to left field. The game remained 4-3 Saints until the fourth inning. The Spirit drove in five runs and took an 8-4 lead. The Saints scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth inning, but it wasn't enough as OUAZ went on to win 9-6.

vs. BU (Feb. 7)

The Saints defeated the Bruins 8-1 in the final game of the weekend. Gonzalez went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Elizondo hit a home run and drove in three runs. Starting pitcher Ramirez pitched all seven innings and only allowed two hits. She also struck out seven batters. The Saints tallied 13 hits including a five run fourth inning.

Up next

The Saints travel to Seguin, Texas, to face Texas Lutheran on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. They will also play LeTourneau University at 4 p.m.