Berlynn Keller (Ottawa Lake, Mich./Whiteford H.S.) tossed a three-hit shutout in the opener as Lourdes handed Aquinas its first Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference loss of the season.  The Gray Wolves won the opener 3-0 before the Saints took game two 9-0 at Gray Wolf Field.
 
"Berlynn Keller pitched a phenomenal game one," head coach Caitlin Blanchard said afterwards.  "Aquinas is a really good hitting team so to be able to limit them to three hits and pitch a shutout is a phenomenal pitching performance.  It was a great team win to be able to push our three runs across.  We executed signs well and played small ball and had the key hits when we needed them.  It was a huge accomplishment to get a split today against one of the top teams in our conference."
 
Keller went the distance for the win (4-9) in game one, walking two and striking out two while scattering the three hits for her first collegiate shutout.  Her defense helped her out in the third as Brooke Albert (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.) threw out a runner at the plate in the third before the Saints tried to score another run on a ball that got to the backstop with two outs, but Maddie Darrah (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.) recovered to tag her out at the plate, keeping the game scoreless.
 
Lourdes took the lead in the bottom of the fifth.  Emily Wallace (Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood H.S.) led off with a single.  A pinch-hit single by Sam Stimmel (Macomb, Mich./L'anse Creuse North H.S.) put runners at the corners and Maddy Bartos (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview H.S.) executed a squeeze bunt to bring home Wallace.
 
Wallace, who went 3-for-3 in the opener, had a bases loaded single in the sixth to increase the lead to 2-0 before Keller brought home another run with a groundout, giving the Gray Wolves the insurance they would need in game one.
 
In game two, Kayla Fessenden limited Lourdes to just three hits while striking out six in her complete game shutout effort.
 
Aquinas (26-10, 9-1 WHAC) plated a pair of unearned runs in the opening inning before back-to-back home runs in the third made it a 4-0 game.   The Saints tacked on two runs in the fourth before plating three to close out the game in the sixth.
 
Lourdes (6-20, 1-9) takes to the road on Wednesday afternoon, traveling to Rochester Hills, Mich. to face Rochester (Mich.).  First pitch in game one of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. at Rochester High School.