(RV) Saint Francis Advances to Crossroads League Championship Game with Win Over Spring Arbor
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spring Arbor (Mich.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
|
(RV) Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 9 | 10 | 0 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The (RV) University of Saint Francis (Ind.) softball team advanced to the 2026 Crossroads League Softball Tournament Championship game with a 9-4 win over Spring Arbor University on Thursday, April 30.
Saint Francis, the No. 2 seed, defeated No. 3 seed Spring Arbor to move on to the title game.
The SF Cougars jumped out to an early lead, with Abby Robakowski stealing home and Macie Dowd adding an RBI single to make it 2-0 after the first inning.
Dowd extended the lead in the third inning with a three-run home run to right field, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
Spring Arbor responded in the sixth, scoring two runs on a two-run home run, an RBI single, and an RBI double to cut SF's lead to one.
Saint Francis answered in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single from Sam Baker and a three-run home run from Robakowski to extend the lead to 9-4.
The SF Cougars held Spring Arbor scoreless in the seventh to secure the victory.
Saint Francis recorded 10 hits and drew three walks against SAU. Lena Viggiano, Sam Baker, Dowd and Robakowski each finished with multiple hits. Dowd had a home run and four RBI, while Robakowski added a home run, three RBI, and two stolen bases. Baker also drove in a run, and Paiton Iliff recorded a double.
In the circle, Olivia Fuentes earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. Ellie Sauder was credited with the save after limiting Spring Arbor to two hits over 1.1 innings of relief.
Saint Francis (35-11) will play for the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Friday, May 1, at 1"00 p.m. at Westendorf Field. The Cougars will face the winner of the elimination game between No. 22 Marian University and Spring Arbor.
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.
