It was Senior Night for the Xavier softball team Tuesday night and the Saints gave themselves a nice present by sweeping Cedar Falls, 5-4 and 10-2, in a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader.

Xavier raised its record in the Valley Division of the MVC to 18-6, giving itself a one-game lead over Prairie with two games left in the season. If the Saints sweep Washington on Monday, they'll be the outright Valley Division champs.

Xavier seniors Erica Miller, Sydney Galligan, Jenna Schulte and Jacey Wiebold figured heavily into the success.

The opener was a tussle as Cedar Falls (9-24, 5-19) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and built it into a 4-2 edge going into the bottom of the fifth. Aided by 11 Cedar Falls walks, the percentages finally caught up with the Tigers and swung in Xavier's favor.

A bases-loaded walk to Miller in the fifth inning pulled the Class 4A No.7 Saints within 4-3. An RBI double by Schulte in the sixth tied the game, 4-4, and a game-winning double by Allison Schwach drove in Hanna Helms for the decisive run in the bottom of the seventh.

Schwach ended the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

“In the first game we didn’t seem to be getting the hits when we needed them,” said Schwach. “I was up in a key situation and I had to make something happen to win the game for us and for the seniors. I got the hit we needed.”

Galligan, who will play at Luther College next season, also contributed a pair of hits in game one.

“Senior night is a little emotional, but we couldn’t seem to get a hit when we needed it,” said Galligan. “We finally came from behind to get the win.”

Erin Drahozal pitched the opener for the Saints, scattering six hits and going the distance.

The second game saw Schwach, Schulte and Drahozal get a pair of hits to lead a 12-hit attack that produced 10 runs and allowed Xavier (26-8, 18-6) to cruise to the 10-2 victory.

“It is a little sad that it’s Senior Night,” said Schulte, who will play at Kirkwood. “Softball has always been something I enjoyed sharing with this team. Next year will seem a little different.”

The battery of Wiebold and Miller held Cedar Falls to two runs on five hits in the nightcap.

"Game one was pretty frustrating when we kept failing to capitalize on our opportunities,” said Xavier Coach Nikki Price. “Drahozal and Wiebold both pitched well, but you never know if you will keep getting opportunities so you have to take them when they come.

“These four seniors are great kids,” said Price. “Their leadership has been exceptional and they will all continue to be successes when they leave Xavier.”

Schwach summed it up by adding, “The seniors have been our role models and picked us up when we were down. They have always been there for us.”

GAME 1

CEDAR FALLS (4): Youngblut, c, 4 0 1 1, Beiner, cf, 4 1 1 0, A.Aikey, lf, 2 2 1 0, Sestermann, 2b, 3 0 1 1, Norman, dp, 3 0 0 1, K.Kramer, 0 0 0 0, Runyan, 1b, 3 0 1 1, Hutchens, 3b, 3 0 0 0, L.Kramer, ss, 3 1 1 0, K.Aikey, p, 2 0 0 0. Totals 27 4 6 4.

XAVIER (5): A.Schwach, 2b, 4 0 2 3, Galligan, lf, 4 1 2 0, Schulte, 1b, 4 0 1 1, Drahozal, p, 1 0 0 0, J.Schwach, cr, 0 0 0 0, Feltes, 3b, 1 1 0 0, Brietbach, rf, 4 0 0 0, Miller, c, 1 0 0 1, Helms, cr, 0 2 0 0, Deutmeyer, ss, 4 0 0 0, Colston, cf, 2 1 1 0. Totals 25 5 6 5.

Cedar Falls    200 110 0 - 4 6 0
Xavier            020 011 1 - 5 6 2

K.Aikey and Youngblut. Drahozal and Miller. W - Drahozal. L - K.Aikey. 2B - L.Kramer, A.Schwach, Schulte. SB - A.Schwach 2.

GAME 2

CEDAR FALLS (2): Youngblut, c, 4 0 1 0, Beiner, cf, 3 1 0 0, A.Aikey, p/lf, 4 1 1 0, Sestermann, 2b, 2 0 0 1, Pence, rf, 2 0 0 0, Runyan, 1b, 3 0 3 1, Hutchens, 3b, 3 0 0 0, L.Kramer, ss, 3 0 0 0, K.Aikey, lf/p, 2 0 0 0. Totals 26 2 5 2.

XAVIER (5): A.Schwach, 2b, 5 1 2 0, Galligan, lf, 2 1 1 1, Schulte, 1b, 3 2 2 1, Drahozal, dp, 4 0 2 2, Wiebold, p, 0 0 0 0, J.Schwach, pr, 0 1 0 0, Feltes, 3b, 1 2 1 1, Brietbach, rf, 2 1 1 2, Miller, c, 2 0 1 0, Helms, cr, 0 1 0 0, Deutmeyer, ss, 4 1 1 0, Colston, cf, 3 0 1 1. Totals 26 10 12 8.

Cedar Falls   101 000 0 - 2 5 1
Xavier           221 023 x - 10 12 1

A.Aikey, K.Aikey(6) and Youngblut. Wiebold and Miller. W - Wiebold. L - A.Aikey. 2B - Drahozal, Brietbach. 3B - Feltes. SB - Schwach.