CONWAY, AR– The University of St. Thomas softball team continued its conference series against Hendrix College, closing out the weekend with two more victories in a doubleheader sweep. The Celts claimed a 13-7 win in Game 1 before securing a 9-5 victory in Game 2, marking an impressive start to conference play.

Game 1: UST 13, HDX 7 

St. Thomas came out strong in the opening inning. Chloe Bennett doubled to right center, bringing home Rebecca Archibald for the game's first run. Bennett later advanced on a wild pitch, allowing Savana Henken to score. Ana Zozaya added to the early momentum with a two-run double to deep right field, giving UST a commanding 4-0 lead after the first.

The Celts continued to build in the second inning. Henken singled up the middle to score Archibald, and Bennett followed with an RBI single to deep left field, extending the lead to 6-0.

After Hendrix chipped away at the deficit in the middle innings, UST responded in the fifth. Bennett delivered another RBI single, and Samantha Crumrin drove in two runs with a double to right center, pushing the advantage to 9-4.

Hendrix narrowed the gap in the sixth, but the Celts sealed the win in the seventh. Bennett capped off a standout performance with a three-run home run to deep center field, scoring Archibald and Henken. Later in the inning, Kianah Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Kaitlyn Key, securing the 13-7 victory.

Game 2: UST 9, HDX 5 

The Celts answered early adversity with a strong third inning. Chloe Bennett singled to right field to score Rebecca Archibald, and Samantha Crumrin grounded out to drive in Avery Pinz. Olivia Sanchez later reached and came around to score, giving UST a 3-1 lead.

In the fourth inning, Gigi Rivera singled to left center to bring home Kianah Johnson. Bennett struck again with an RBI single to score Rivera, extending the lead to 5-3.

Ana Zozaya added another run in the fifth as Kaitlyn Key crossed the plate, keeping the Celts in control.

With Hendrix threatening late, St. Thomas delivered the final blow in the seventh. Olivia Sanchez launched a three-run home run down the left field line, scoring Crumrin and Bennett and sealing the 9-5 victory to complete the sweep.

Up Next
The Celts begin a new conference series as they travel to Seguin, Texas to face Texas Lutheran University. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20 @6 PM, with the remainder of the series to follow throughout the weekend. For more updates, visit ustcelts.com or follow @ustsoftball on Instagram.