FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Sunday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Cougars (2-0) began their 2022 season on the road when they traveled to Indiana Tech (0-2) and got off on the right foot with a sweep, winning by scores of 10-0 and 8-5.

In the opener, the Cougars set the tone right from the start. Center fielder Grace Renbarger led off the game with a double down the left field line and came around the score the game's first run on a double by designated player Regan Peppler.

Saint Francis would score four runs in the top of the first and gave junior starter Mackenzie Rust, a cushion to work with.

The Cougars carried their momentum over to the second inning as Peppler doubled to left-center for her second hit in as many innings playing two more runs as Saint Francis now led 6-0.

On the mound, Rust was dominant. Five of the first nine outs she recorded were strikeouts and she kept the Warriors off the board throughout.

Come the fifth, second baseman Ashley Kent smashed a three-run home run that hit off the scoreboard to give the Cougars a 10-0 lead, and Rust went back out and shut the door on the Warriors as Saint Francis earned their first win in five innings.

Rust threw a complete-game shutout allowing just two runs while striking out nine over five innings.

At the start of the second game, no scoring was done through the first inning and a half. The Warriors then broke the score in the bottom of the second, plating a couple runs on two hits and a hit batsman.

Then in the third, the Cougars responded. After the first batter struck out, designated player Brenna Homan also struck out, but reached first on a dropped third strike, and came around to score the first run for Saint Francis on an RBI-triple by Grace Renbarger.

Renbarger then came around to score the tying run, and then catcher Tori Miller smacked a two-run home run to left-center and give the Cougars a 4-2 lead.

The Warriors got a run back in their half of the third, but the Cougars put the game away in the fifth. They took advantage of a costly fielding error by the Warriors and plated three more runs to extend their lead to 7-3, and the Warriors could never catch up.

On the mound for the Cougars in the second game was freshman Mia Werner who pitched well throughout. She went the distance allowing five runs on just six hits while striking out seven batters with 112 pitches.  

The Cougars resume play on Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Palos Heights, Illinois for a road doubleheader against the Trinity Christian College Trolls (0-2) beginning at 10:30 am.