Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. - St. Thomas opened with two wins Thursday at the Sun Conference Championships defeating Thomas 11-2 followed by a 5-1 win over Ave Maria to advance in the tournament's winner's bracket.

In the opening game, St. Thomas defeated Thomas Nighthawks 11-2 in decisive fashion, scoring a run in every inning but the third. Brenda Emerson's stellar pitching was backed up by a hot STU offense, with five Bobcats picking up at least one RBI.

Emerson picked up the complete-game win, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three and walking three.

STU opened up the scoring in the first inning with Sasha Horton stealinge home on a double steal attempt. The Nighthawks tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the third but the Bobcats would take control of the game from then on beginning with a game-winning RBI double scoring Horton in the fourth. An RBI-single in the fifth by Linett Perez made the score 4-2, which was followed by a five-run sixth inning that put the game out of reach.  Denise Prieto doubled in the seventh inning to score two more runs for even more insurance.

Due to a compressed schedule to avoid potential thunderstorms forecasted in central Florida, St. Thomas faced off with Ave Maria just 30 minutes later.   The Bobcats sent Cristina Sacramento to the mound who stepped up to the task with a complete game victory allowing just one run on three hits.  The sophomore hurler struck out four Ave Maria batters and walked just one over her seven innings.

The Bobcats had to come from behind against the Gyrenes as Ave Maria struck early with one run in the top of the first.  In the second, Amanda Pento hit a triple down the right field line that scored Sacramento to tie the game 1-1.  In the third, the Bobcats scored two runs on an RBI single by Borrelli who then scored on a single by Chrissy Horton.  In the bottom of the sixth, Sasha Horton scored on an error and Jessica Matias stole home to give Sacramento a 5-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh.  Sacaramento kept the Gyrenes off the board in the final frame for the win.

St. Thomas next plays fourth seeded Southeastern in the winner's bracket with first pitch scheduled for Saturday (time tbd) at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. Live video/stats will be provided at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/uscb.portal#