Box Score
Aquinas broke open a tie game with nine runs in the top of the fifth inning on a cold, windy Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field and defeated Lourdes 13-2 to complete a three-game weekend sweep of the Gray Wolves.  Game two of Sunday's doubleheader was cancelled due to the falling temperatures and will not be made up per Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference rules.
 
Lourdes committed five errors in the game and managed just three hits on the afternoon.  The Gray Wovles went from the third batter of the game until a lead-off single in the seventh without one safety.
 
“I am very disappointed with the way we played this weekend,” head coach Andy Ham said.  “We had the opportunity to set ourselves up in good position in the conference and didn't do it.  We weren't disciplined, gave at bats away, and had too many errors both physically and mentally.”
 
Lourdes jumped on top in the opening inning as Tim DeCant (Northwood, Ohio/Lake H.S.) led off with a walk and stole second.  After he moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, John Crooks (Toledo, Ohio/Ottawa Hills H.S.) put the Gray Wolves in front, lacing a triple down the right field line.  With the hit, Crooks extended his hitting streak to eight straight games.
 
Starter Kyle Vandecaveye (Ida, Mich./Ida H.S.) was sharp early, retiring the first eight batters of the game.  A dropped infield pop-up with two outs in the third, followed by a single and an error, put runners on the corners before a delayed double steal allowed the Saints to tie the game at one.
 
The game stayed tied until two outs in the fifth when Josh Drake delivered a bases loaded double to put Aquinas on top for good.  An error followed, and four walks and four hits later the Saints had scored nine times and taken a 10-1 advantage.
 
Aquinas (10-4, 3-0 WHAC) added a single run in the sixth after a catcher's interference and a dropped fly ball and added a two-run double by Austin King in the seventh to push the lead to 13-1.
 
Lourdes plated one run in the seventh, but left the bases loaded in an opportunity to score more.  Victor Diaz (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf H.S.) led off with a pinch hit single and Cody Berg (Garrettsville, Ohio/James A. Garfield H.S.) also reached in a pinch-hitting role, drawing a walk.  With two outs Crooks drew a free pass to load the bass and Cole Fitzgerald (Rome, N.Y./Centerville [Ohio] H.S.) plated Diaz on an infield single down the third base line.  A groundout ended the threat with the bases loaded.
 
Vandecaveye suffered the loss (1-2) for Lourdes, allowing six runs, only three of which were earned, and six hits in 4.2 innings of work.  He walked one and struck out four.  Kevin Schafer picked up the win (2-0) for the Saints, allowing just one run and one hit in five innings.  He walked six and fanned two.
 
Drake led Aquinas with three RBI while four batters had two hits each as part of a 12-hit attack.
 
Lourdes (8-12, 0-3) is scheduled to return to the diamond on Wednesday afternoon as the Gray Wolves travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. to face Indiana Tech.  First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.