BUFFALO, N.Y. — D'Youville University faced Molloy University in the Saints home opener, with the outcomes showcasing both tight competition and commanding victories. In the first game, D'Youville took the win with a commanding score of 7-3 before falling 7-6 in game two to the Lions.

In the first game, D'Youville secured a 7-3 victory at Dobson Field, driven by a four-run third inning. The game opened with D'Youville capitalizing on Molloy's fielding errors, as Shannon Howes (Palgrave, Ontario / St. Thomas Aquinas) reached first on an error and later scored on a single by Mikayla Hussar (West Seneca, N.Y. / West Seneca West). Frankie Morris (Lancaster, N.Y. / Lancaster) then doubled to bring Hussar home, giving D'Youville a 2-0 lead after the first inning. 

In the second inning, Summer Clark (Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville East) reached on an error and scored on a fielder's choice by Danielle Fenlong (Georgetown, Ontario / Christ the King), extending the lead to 3-0. D'Youville's offense surged in the third as Morris doubled again, scoring Annie Jorgenson (Victoria, B.C. / Belmont). Jorja Sandilands (Brooklin, Ontario / Brooklin) and Clark contributed with hits, while Isabella Mancino (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park) capped the inning with an RBI single, leading 7-0 by the end of the third. 

Molloy responded in the fourth with a run, but D'Youville maintained a solid 7-1 lead. The Lions scored another run in the fifth and sixth innings, bringing the score to 7-2. In the final inning, Molloy added one more run, but D'Youville's lead was insurmountable, concluding the game with a 7-3 victory. 

Summer Clark pitched the complete game, allowing 12 hits and 3 runs while striking out 6 batters, marking her 11th win of the season. Offensively, she drove in 2 runs and had two hits. Morris led the offensive efforts with two hits and two RBIs, while Clark also recorded two hits and scored twice. Hussar contributed with one hit and an RBI, and Fenlong added a hit and an RBI.

In the second game, D'Youville  took an early lead in the first inning when Mikayla Hussar walked and later scored on a double by Frankie Morris, making it 1-0 after the first inning. However, Molloy tied the game in the second inning with a single. The Lions then added two runs in the third, taking a 3-1 lead. D'Youville responded in the fourth inning as Annie Jorgenson reached first on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Leah Batterson (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Red Jacket), narrowing the gap to 3-2. 

Molloy extended their lead in the fifth with two unearned runs, pushing the score to 5-2. D'Youville mounted a dramatic comeback in the sixth, with Jorja Sandilands and Isabella Mancino scoring on a double by Sophia Arno (Clarence Center, N.Y. / The Brook Hill School). Batterson added another run on Gabby Moreno's (San Diego, Calif. / Rancho Buena Vista) sacrifice fly, and Arno scored on a single by Danielle Fenlong, tying the game at 6-6. However, in the top of the sixth, Molloy regained the lead with two runs, including a score on a passed ball, finishing the game at 7-6. 

Kendal Lehnen (Sherrill, N.Y. / Vernon Verona Sherrill) started and pitched 4 innings, allowing 8 hits and 3 earned runs. Hailee Jenkins (Ontario, Canada / Fenelon Falls) relieved for 2 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 earned runs, while striking out 1. Summer Clark closed the game with 1 inning of work. Key performers for D'Youville included Danielle Fenlong with three hits and an RBI, Morris with two hits and an RBI, and Arno with two RBIs. Sandilands also contributed with two hits and a walk.

D'Youville gets set to host St. Thomas Aquinas College on Friday, April 17, for a doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.