Cougars Fall Short Against Eagles in First Game of NAIA Opening Round
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
|
Texas A&M Texarkana | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | X | 5 | 8 | 0 |
ASHLAND, Ore. - The No. 3-seeded University of Saint Francis (Ind.) softball team opened play at the 2026 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round against No. 2 seed Texas A&M University-Texarkana on Monday, May 11. The Cougars fell to the Eagles by a final score of 5-4.
Saint Francis and Texas A&M-Texarkana remained scoreless through the first two innings before Abby Robakowski hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles answered in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a fielding error to plate a run and cut the deficit to 2-1.
With two outs and two runners on base in the top of the fifth inning, Madyson Minnich tripled to right-center field to extend the Saint Francis lead to 4-1.
Texas A&M-Texarkana rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4 before using an RBI single in the sixth inning to secure the 5-4 victory.
Saint Francis recorded five hits and drew three walks in the contest. Robakowski finished 1-2 with her 26th home run of the season, two RBIs, and a walk. Minnich added a triple and two RBIs, while Sam Baker recorded a stolen base and scored a run.
In the circle, Ellie Sauder struck out one batter while allowing seven hits and two earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched. Olivia Fuentes was charged with the loss after tossing 1.1 innings of relief with one strikeout.
Up next, Saint Francis (36-12) will face No. 5 seed Ottawa University Arizona in an elimination game on Tuesday, May 12, at 11:00 a.m.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Business and Leadership: Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
