Lourdes scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning of game one to rally and earn a split with 14^th-ranked Aquinas on Tuesday.  The Gray Wolves the opener 10-5 before the Saints took the nightcap 11-3 at Gainey Athletic Field in Grand Rapids, Mich.
 
The game one victory was just the second all-time against a NAIA top-25 ranked team and first since downing second-ranked Saint Xavier on March 5, 2017.
 
"It was huge to get a split against Aquinas today," head coach Caitlin Blanchard said afterwards.  "Game one was an excellent team win.  We battled back and forth with them, and then the break through moment was the grand slam from Emily.  We had solid production from the entire lineup and Milena pitched really well to close out the game.  This team is really fighting to get into the tournament and I've been proud of the passion that we've been displaying on the field."
 
Lourdes started quickly in game one as Annalisse Palma (Battle Cree, Mich./Lakeview H.S.) doubled home Brooke Albert (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.) with the game's first run and scored herself on a single by Sophia Dauterman (Toledo, Ohio/Whiteford H.S.) in the opening inning.
 
After Aquinas tied the game in the third, Lourdes responded immediately in the fourth on a RBI single by Abby Cantrell (Gibsonburg, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.).  The Saints tallied one in the bottom of the fourth before Megan Richardson's (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) squeeze bunt in the fifth put Lourdes on top 4-3.
 
The Saints tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and took the lead with a run in the sixth, setting the stage for the Lourdes comeback.  With one out and the bases loaded, Richardson singled to left to tie the game.  Emily Wallace (Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood H.S.) then delivered a grand slam, her first home run of the season, to give the Gray Wolves a 9-5 lead.  The offense continued to get hits in the inning and Cantrell added one final insurance run with a RBI hit.
 
Albert, Dauterman, and Cantrell each had two hits as Lourdes tallied 11 for the game.  Milena Applegate (Jerome, Mich./Lumen Christi H.S.) came on to pitch in the third and earned the win (3-6), tossing 4.1 innings while allowing two earned runs and six hits.
 
The Lourdes offense started fast in game two as well, scoring three times in the top of the first.  Wallace singled to center to score the first run before Dauterman added a RBI hit later in the inning.  Ashleigh Riffle's (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon H.S.) sacrifice fly made it 3-0 Gray Wolves.
 
Aquinas (31-9, 11-5 WHAC) responded with a run in the opening frame and tied the contest with two more in the second.  A three-run third put the hosts in front for good before the Saints ended the game in the fifth with a five-run inning.
 
Richardson went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles in game two for Lourdes while Dauterman also had a pair of hits as the Gray Wolves tallied eight total.
 
Lourdes (14-21, 8-12) closes out the regular season on Friday afternoon as the Gray Wolves return to Grand Rapids to face Cornerstone.  First pitch in game one of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. at the Cornerstone Softball Field.