Sports – Page 15 – Lake Weekly

Saints Claim 2025 RRAC Tournament Championship

A 3-0 victory over LSU Alexandria on Sunday, earned the Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) softball team the 2025 Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Softball Tournament championship. The Saints completed the season sweep, also winning the RRAC regular season title. OLLU stormed through the tournament, outscoring the opposition, 31-5 in four games including a pair of shutouts.

The Saints, who were the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed began play with a 15-0 with over the University of the Southwest on Thursday before taking down Houston-Victoria by a score of 8-3 on Friday.

Saturday would be the first of two games between the Saints and the tournament’s No. 2 seed Generals of LSUA. A five-run third inning for the Saints turned out to be the difference as they took down LSUA 5-2 to earn a spot in today’s championship game. The Generals took down Texas A&M San Anotonio earlier today to setup a rematch against OLLU.

OLLU got their offense going in the championship game after Yezenia Perez singled to start the second inning. Perez would go first-to-third on a double down the left field line by Ava Hernandez. Alyssa Garcia put the Saints in front with a sacrifice fly, making it 1-0 through two complete.

The Generals’ best scoring chance came in the top half of the sixth after a leadoff walk and single to put two runners on with no outs. A sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position, giving LSUA a chance tie or take the lead. Hernandez came up huge for the Saints in the circle as she struck out the next two Generals batters to end the threat and keep the Saints on top heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Caitlin Casas lead off the sixth for the Saints and drew a walk. Hernandez recorded her second hit of the game, a single that sent Casas to third to put Saints at the corners. After Hernandez stole second, Garcia struck again, this time singling up the middle to score Casas and Hernandez to add two insurance runs for the Saints.

A leadoff single for LSUA in the top of the seventh gave the Generals life, but the Saints’ pitching and defense stepped up again as Hernandez induced a 6-4-3 double play to take the wind out of the sails for LSUA. A diving catch by Lexie Escamilla in left field ended the game, securing the Saints’ second Tournament Championship in the last three seasons.

The Saints await the NAIA Softball selection show on Wednesday, May 7 at 5:00 p.m. CT. OLLU was named one of the 10 host sites for the 2025 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, which will be played from May 12-15.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the OLLU Saints, fans can visit ollusaintsathletics.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Saints news by following @ollusaintsathletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Saints Season Ends at RRAC Tournament

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) baseball team saw its season come to an end on Sunday as they fell to LSU Shreveport in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Tournament. The Saints end the season with a 30-23 overall record including a 20-10 mark in RRAC action. It is the second time in the last three seasons the Saints have won 30 games.

OLLU started the RRAC Tournament with an 11-3 victory over LSU Alexandria, earning them a matchup with the nations No. 1 and undefeated LSU Shreveport. Trailing 7-2 against the Pilots, the Saints put up a five-run seventh inning to even the game at seven. The inning included RBI doubles from Jack Kalisky and Drew Saucedo and RBI singles from Carlos Gusman and Isaac Davila. A two-run homerun in the home half of the inning, put the Pilots ahead, 9-7, the eventual final score.

One loss away from elimination, the Saints took on Huston-Tillotson on Saturday evening. OLLU got a strong pitching performance from Noah De La Riva against the Rams as the righty tossed a complete game, allowing only one run on three hits while striking out nine. The Saints’ offense exploded for 14 runs on 14 hits led by Joshua Milton who recorded three hits. Three Saints drove in three runs in the victory including Kalisky, Davila, and Benjamyn Hovda.

The win over Huston-Tillotson earned the Saints a rematch with LSU Shreveport. The Pilots scored five in the first inning and never looked back, winning 12-1 over the Saints. Jimmy Valle came on to pinch hit in the bottom of the seventh and drove in the Saints’ lone run of the game.

Softball Set to Host NAIA Opening Round

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) softball team earned the top seed in the San Antonio bracket for the 2025 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, as announced by the NAIA during Wednesday’s selection show. Joining the Saints in San Antonio will be Eastern Oregon as the No. 2 seed and Middle Georgia State as the No. 3 seed. Embry-Riddle (AZ) will occupy the fourth seed and Central Baptist will represent the fifth seed to round out the five-team San Antonio bracket.

There will be two Opening Round sites that will feature four teams while the remaining eight will host five team brackets, each playing double elimination format. The winner of each site will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, GA May 22-28.

OLLU earned the top seed after finishing 45-7, winning both the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) regular season and tournament championships, earning them an automatic bid into the Championships. The Saints host an Opening Round for the third consecutive season and will await the winner of Embry-Riddle and Central Baptist on Monday evening at 5:00 p.m.

The second seeded Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon University earned a trip to San Antonio by capturing the 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) crown. The Mountaineers compiled a regular season record of 32-9 including a 22-5 mark in CCC action. EOU will take on third-seed Middle Georgia State University at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 12.

Middle Georgia enters the Opening Round as the third-seed and arguably the nations hottest team as the Knights are winners of 27 consecutive games. The Knights swept through the Southern States Athletic Conference (SCAC) tournament to earn an automatic bid. Middle Georgia compiled a 38-8 overall record on the season including a 25-1 conference record.

The fourth seed belongs to Embry-Riddle (AZ) who earned an at-large bid after finishing as runner-up at the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) tournament. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 27-11 overall record and a 14-6 record in league play.

Rounding out the five-team San Antonio bracket is Central Baptist, the fifth-seed. The Mustangs earned an at-large bid after falling in the American Midwest Conference (AMC). Central Baptist holds a record of 31-25 and was 15-7 in AMC action.

Check out the 2025 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round tournament page for brackets, game times, and information regarding the tournament.

Women’s Golf Captures 2025 CAC Championship

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) women’s golf team captured the 2025 Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) championship on Tuesday, winning in dominant fashion. The Saints led by 14 strokes after the first 18 holes and would go on to win by 27 strokes. OLLU fired rounds of 327-306 to earn the victory and secure their spot in the NAIA Women’s Golf Championships. The NAIA Championship will take place May 13-16 at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Results

Three Saints found themselves in the top-five after the first round led by Ceci Lattuada who carded a five-over 77 to lead the entire field. Lattuada recorded two birdies and nine pars over her first 18 holes. Kendall Ward was in third place after Monday’s first round as she shot a nine-over 81 that included nine pars and a birdie. Grayson Weiler was the final Saint to land in the top-five after shooting a 10-over 82, good for a tie for fourth place.

In the final round, the Saints trimmed 21 strokes off their round one score to shoot 306. Lattuada was the first of three Saints to finish consecutively as the she shot a 76 in her final round for a total of 153, earning her a runner-up finish in the Championship. Weiler saw a nine stroke improvement in round two, shooting a one-over 73, which moved her into a third place finish. Ward finished in fourth place after shooting a second round 75. This trio of Saints were all named to the All-Conference team.

Annabelle Reyna earned a top-10 finish for the Saints, shooting 87-83-170 for the tournament to finish in a tie for eighth. Samantha Garcia was eight strokes better in the second round, shooting 82 to finish with a tournament total of 172 and an 11th place finish.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Earns Second Place Finish at RRAC Championships

The Our Lady of the Lake women’s outdoor track and field team earned a second place finish at the 2025 Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championships this weekend. The Saints compiled 234.5 points, falling short to host Xavier University, who scored 335.5 team points to capture their fourth consecutive RRAC title.

The Saints earned 24 all-conference accolades and six event wins.

Event Winners (Event-Name (Time/Distance)

1500m – Leilani Leza (5:03.50)
3000m – Leilani Leza (11:22.03)
5000m – Valeria Pena (23:08.28)
10000m – Sierra Ramirez (51:12.36)
400m Hurdles – Aziza Clark (1:02.15)
Long Jump – Lawren Tanner (5.71m)
For a complete list of results click HERE.

No. 5 Softball Earns Fourth Straight RRAC Regular Season Crown

For the fourth consecutive season, the Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) softball team has earned the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) regular season championship. The Saints swept the Texas A&M San Antonio Jaguars on Saturday to move to 27-1 in conference play and 41-7 overall.

In game one, the Saints struck early with the long ball as Alyssa Flores launched a three-run homerun over the centerfield fence, giving OLLU a 3-0 lead. In the top of the second, the Jaguars took advantage of an OLLU error and manufactured a run to cut the OLLU lead to two.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Kristee Salas singled up the middle and would move into scoring position after a sacrifice from Kayla Rogers. Lilly Rocha plated Salas with a single to left field, extending the OLLU lead to 4-1.

In the fourth, TAMUSA continued to chp away at the OLLU lead as the Jaguars scored another run with the help of an OLLU error that extended the inning.

Grace Ross hit her 10th homerun of the year in the fifth inning, a solo shot, to give the Saints a 5-2 lead.

The Jaguars brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but only managed to get one run. OLLU went on to win 5-3 over TAMUSA.

Ava Hernandez went the distance to earn her 20th victory of the season. Salas finished the game 2-for-2 at the plate while Flores led the way with three RBI.

Game two saw a dominant pitching performance from Annika Litterio. The right-hander gave up a single to lead off the game but went on to retire 19 consecuive batters.

Salas started the scoring for the Saints as she hit her ninth homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run shot, scoring Lexie Escamilla who reached on a walk. Following the Salas blast, Rogers drew a walk and stole second base, moving into scoring position for Alyssa Garcia. Garcia singled to right field to bring home Rogers, giving OLLU the 3-0 lead.

Caitlin Terrazas got things going for the Saints in the fifth with a single to right field. Hernandez came on to run for Terrazas and would score on a Flores single to centerfield. Ross picked up another RBI on the day as she singled home Flores to give OLLU a 6-0 lead. Salas joined Ross in the double-figure homerun category as she launched her second of the game and 10th of the season in the fifth to make it 7-0 OLLU. Salas drove in four runs in the victory.

Litterio struck out the first batter in the seventh before giving up a single. She struck out the final two batters she faced to end the game. Litterio finished with eight strikeouts while surrending just two hits.

The Saints will head to the RRAC Softball Championships in Alexandria, Louisiana. The tournament is set to begin on May 2.

No. 5 Men’s Tennis Punches Ticket to NAIA Championships

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) men’s tennis team secured its spot in the 2025 NAIA Men’s Tennis Championships on Saturday as the Saints took down No. 8 Xavier in the finals of the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping Tournament. The win is the 19th in a row for the No. 5 ranked Saints.

The Saints got past Hope International and Texas A&M Texarkana on their way to the finals, defeating both by a score of 4-0.

OLLU claimed the doubles point with two 6-1 victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 lines, taking a 1-0 lead into singles action.

Aymeric Bruno was the first off the court in singles play as he gave the Saints a 2-0 lead, winning 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 3 line. Freshman Matis Nuziere stepped up all week for the Saints and none bigger than his 6-4, 7-6 victory at the No. 5 line to put the Saints up 3-0, just one point away from clinching.

Joao Santos clinched the match and championship for the Saints with a 6-1, 6-4 win at the No. 4 line.

The Saints move to 19-1 on the season and await seeding information for next months Championship.

Women’s Tennis Captures Programs First Conference Championship

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) women’s tennis team captures its first-ever Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship on Saturday as the Saints defeated the No. 5 seed Louisiana Christian University at Blossom Tennis Center. The Saints were the tournaments sixth seed and the Championship earned them a spot in next month’s NAIA Women’s Tennis Championships in Mobile, Alabama.

In the quarterfinal round of the tournament, the Saints took out the third-seed and No. 13 team in the country in Dillard by a score of 4-2. OLLU carried the momentum into the semifinals where they took on No. 12 Xavier for a spot in the championship match. The Saints battled and took down the Gold Nuggets.

In the championship match, the Saints earned a pair of 6-4 victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles lines to take the 1-0 lead in the match.

At No. 3 singles, Marie Peters got the Saints a point closer to a conference championship as she won 6-2, 6-1. Alexandra Mille took a 1-0 advantage in her match at No. 2 singles, winning 6-4. Mille went on to win the second, 7-5, making it 3-2 in favor of OLLU.

Sofia Gonzalez de le Vega punched the Saints’ ticket to the NAIA National Championships with a 7-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles.

The Saints await seeding information for the NAIA Championships.

Domenic Martinez Tosses Gem as Saints Defeat No. 15 Houston-Victoria

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) baseball team got a dominant start from left-hander Domenic Martinez on Tuesday night as the Saints took down the No. 15-ranked Houston-Victoria Jaguars in their final non-conference game of the season. Martinez tossed six innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight.

Martinez got things going early as he recorded three strikeouts in the top of the first inning. The OLLU offense struck in the bottom of the first to give Martinez the early 1-0 lead after a passed ball allowed Carlos Gusman to score.

The only blemish in the box score for Martinez came in the top of the second after he issued a leadoff walk that later came around to score on a sacrifice fly to even the game at one.

Isaac Davila reached in the third on a one-out single to left field. Davila would advance to second on a failed pickoff attempt, putting him in scoring position with Gusman coming to the plate. With two outs, Gusman shot a ball through the right side, scoring Davila to give the Saints the lead back. The Jaguars had a chance to get out of the inning and limit damage but a dropped foul ball allowed Jack Kalisky to see another pitch. Kalisky reached on a single to the shortstop, putting runners at first and second with two away. Gavin Machado sent a ball down the right field line that went for a triple, allowing Gusman and Kalisky to score, extending the OLLU lead to 4-1.

OLLU struck again in the fifth after they loaded the bases with one out, forcing UHV to make their first pitching change of the night. After an OLLU strikeout, Christian Martinez brought Drew Saucedo home with a single to third base, making it a 5-1 contest through five innings.

In the sixth, both lineups were retired in order and that would be the end of the night for Martinez. The lefty gave way to Hector Rogerio III in the seventh and Rogerio III retired his first two batters before allowing his first baserunner. With a runner on first, Rogerio III induced a flyout to centerfield to end the inning.

Gusman reached base for the third time in the seventh with his third single of the night. Gusman would come around to score his third run of the game after Machado collected his second triple of the game. Benjamyn Hovda came on to run for Machado and scored on a UHV error, the Saints’ seventh run of the game. Christian Martinez, who reached on the error came around to score when Joshua Milton came onto to pinch hit and drove a ball into right field to make it 8-1 in favor of the Saints.

Tyler Pauly came on in the ninth to close out the game for OLLU and the righty closed the door, securing the 8-1 victory for the Saints.

Kalisky and Machado each finished the night with two hits. Machado led the way for the Saints with three RBI.

OLLU will play their final home series of the season this week as they host Jarvis Christian on Thursday and Friday.

No. 10 Softball Takes Three of Four in Pivotal RRAC Matchups

The No. 10 ranked Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) softball team welcomed two top-25 programs to San Antonio this weekend in No. 6 LSU Aleandria and Texas A&M Texarkana who is tied for 23rd in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll. The Saints came away with three wins on the weekend, dropping a game to LSUA on Friday.

The Saints move to 39-7 overall and 25-1 in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) action. The loss to LSUA was the first regular season RRAC loss for the Saints since the 2022 season.

In the opener against the Generals, the Saints’ starting pitcher Ava Hernandez was as impressive as she has been all season. The sophomore held a dangerous lineup to just two hits while striking out eight.

The bottom of the second inning presented a scoring opportunity for the Saints as Caitlin Terrazas reached on a one-out single. Hernandez reached on an error and the bases became loaded with Saints after Kristee Salas singled. The LSUA defense escaped the jam, holding OLLU scoreless in the inning.

The Generals threatened in the top of the fourth inning, putting two runners on base but Hernandez left them there and sent the game to the bottom half of the fourth, still tied 0-0. Just as Terrazas did in the second, she led the inning off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hernandez. Ayanna Trejo came onto run for Terrazas and eventually stole third. Kayla Rogers came to the plate and delivered the games first run with a single through the left side to score Trejo.

Salas added another run to the Saints tally in the sixth with her eighth homerun of the season.

Hernandez retired the Generals in order in the seventh, giving them their first RRAC loss of the season.

Terrazas and Salas each finished the game with two hits.

The Saints offense came out swinging in the bottom of the first of game two, taking an early 3-0 lead on RBI singles from Grace Ross and Alyssa Flores. Hernandez added the Saints’ final run of the inning when she grounded out to third, scoring Ross.

A two-run homerun by the Generals in the second inning made it a one-run game. LSUA blew things open in the third, plating five runs on four hits to take a 7-3 advantage over the Saints. The fifth inning saw the Generals add three more runs to the scoreboard via a three-run blast, making it 10-3.

OLLU added one in the sixth inning to make it 10-4 but that is as close as they would get to the Generals.

On Saturday, the Saints looked to bounce back against the Texas A&M Texarkana Eagles, another top-25 RRAC opponent.

Hernandez was back in the circle for the Saints and she made her presence felt immediately, striking out two of the first three batters she faced to open the game. The Alice, Texas native helped her own cause in the bottom of the first as she ripped a double off the centerfield wall to score Yezenia Perez and Lilly Rocha.

In the top of the second, Hernandez added three strikeouts to make it five over two innings of work.

Ross singled in the third and gave way to pinch runner, Emilia Salinas. After Salinas stole second, Terrazas plated her with a double to centerfield to extend the OLLU lead to 3-0.

The Eagles added two runs in the fourth to make it a one run game.

Lesia Escamilla led off the Saints’ half of the fourth with a single to left field. Trejo came on to pinch run and moved herself into scoring position with a stolen base. After a sacrifice bunt from Salas, a sacrifice from Rogers scored Trejo to give the Saints a 4-2 lead.

Rocha launched her ninth homerun of the season, a two-run shot, giving OLLU a 6-2 advantage over the Eagles. Later in the inning, Ross plated Rogers to extend the lead to 7-2.

Hernandez ended the game just as she began it, striking out two of three batters in the inning to slam the door on the Eagles.

In the Saints’ final game of the weekend, Annika Litterio struck out six of the first seven batters she faced. It wasn’t until the fourth frame that the Eagles would get to Litterio. A two-out RBI double from TAMUT broke the scoreless tie, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Flores reached in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff single down the right field line. Reanna Aguirre came on to run for Flores and moved up on a single by Escamilla. Salas reached on a fielders choice to put runners at first and third. Salas later stole second, putting runners at second and third with Rogers coming to the plate. Rogers delivered once again when the Saints needed it most, roping a double into centerfield to score Salas and Aguirre to put OLLU on top.

With two outs in the sixth, Rocha drew a walk, giving Caitlin Casas an opportunity to add to the OLLU lead. Casas answered the call with a double to right field, scoring Rocha from first base to add an insurance run for the Saints.

Hernandez, who came on for Litterio in the sixth, earned her first save of the season as sat the Eagles down in order to end the game. Litterio finished with 12 strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.

OLLU will close out the regular season on Saturday, April 19 as they host Texas A&M San Antonio at the OLLU Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.