SANTA ROSA, Cali. – After falling victim to a walk-off loss Saturday afternoon, the Saint Martin's (3-2) softball team responded with two convincing wins on Sunday against Holy Names University, with the pitching trio of Abby Runyon, Tia Ridings, and Chloe Leverington all throwing blanks in wins by the scores of 3-0 and 5-0.
 
Game one was the Abby Runyon show as the junior hurler allowed the Hawks to get nothing going all game long. The only half-inning where SMU didn't have the lead was the top of the first, as the Hawks drew an opening walk before Kekai Schultz caught the runner stealing, and Runyon took care of the rest of the side.
In the bottom of the inning, it was again Schultz coming up big, this time on offense to pound a single up the middle and score Destiny Conerly. Soon after, a single from freshman Shelby Lawson got Schultz to third before Schultz was able to keep running home on an error by the Holy Names first baseman.
The final insurance run was tacked on in the third inning when Olivia Schmidt laced a single and scored Vanessa Smoke. Runyon continued befuddling Hawks as she allowed just two hits and had eight strikeouts on the day. It was her fifth career complete game shutout and her first since May of 2021.
FINAL: Saint Martin's 3, Holy Names 0
 
Ridings and Leverington took over exactly where Runyon left off, pitching another shutout in game two. This time, with SMU acting as the away team, there was only a few moments before the Saints took a lead they would never surrender. Batting in the three spot, Conerly singled to get on first. Schultz followed that up with a ball at second base which forced an error out of the Hawks and Conerly buzzed around the bases to get home and make it 1-0. In the second, it was Britney Patrick that got herself an RBI when she hit a sac fly that scored Marisol Bergstrom.
More defensive miscues opened the door for Saint Martin's in the third. After Conerly got on via the bunt, Schultz again reached on an error, and then a double steal put them both in scoring position. When the catcher committed an error, it was all that Conerly needed to score the third run. Following that, first year Rylee Gaudia ripped a double down the left field line for her first hit and her first RBI as a collegiate player. Two more rookies with impressive opening weekends combined for the first run, as Lawson brought in Haley Agena to round out the scoring in the sixth.
After four solid innings from Ridings in the circle, in which she allowed just two hits, struck out five, and picked up the win, the ball was handed to Leverington who locked down HNU for just one hit in the final three innings as she picked up the save.
FINAL: Saint Martin's 5, Holy Names 0
 
The Saints now have a week off before they head to Hawaii to do battle with a trio of Hawaii schools. Their first matchup will be Saturday, February 18^th, against Hawaii-Hilo.