The College of Saint Benedict softball team (0-0 MIAC, 2-2 overall) collected 28 hits in two games to earn their second consecutive split to start the 2010 season at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida.  In Game 1, CSB scored 12 runs on 18 hits to top Beloit College 12-5.  In the nightcap, the Blazers rallied with three runs in the fifth inning but fell short against York College 7-5.

The Blazers opened up game 1 with a four-run first inning highlighted by back-to-back 2 RBI doubles off the bats of junior Elle Borba (Ontario, CA, St. Lucy's Priory) and sophomore Lis Wieneke (New Ulm, MN, New Ulm).  After CSB added another run in the top of the second inning, York answered in the bottom of the second inning with five runs of their own to tie the game.  The Blazers added a run in the third inning and two runs in the fourth inning and broke the game open in the fifth inning with four runs to take a 12-5 advantage.  In the fifth inning, CSB put together four consecutive singles to manufacture key insurance runs.

Leading the way for CSB was senior Shannon Eveland (Maple Grove, MN, Maple Grove) with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI.  Junior Kristen Herges (Rochester, MN, John Marshall) went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two runs scored, and 2 RBIs, and senior Beth Hanson (Faribault, MN, Bethlehem Academy), juniors Abby Richardson (Storm Lake, IA, St. Mary's), Alyssa Kubesh (Buffalo Lake, MN, Buffalo Lake-Hector), and Carissa Hancock (Grand Rapids, MN, Grand Rapids), and Wieneke added two hits apiece.  Kubesh, Wieneke, and Borba also added two RBIs each.  Borba led the Blazers on the mound coming in relief to throw 5.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.  Borba only allowed four hits and struck out two Beloit batters.

In game 2,  the Blazers fell behind 6-0 after the top half of the fourth inning.  CSB rallied by scoring two runs in the fourth inning when Hanson tripled to knock in Hancock and Kubesh, who both reached base with singles earlier in the inning.  York added an insurance run in the fifth inning to push their lead to 7-2.  In the fifth inning, CSB collected four hits and scored three runs, but it wasn't enough as York didn't allow CSB to reach base in the sixth or seventh inning to take the game 7-5.

Kubesh led the Blazer offense in game 2 by going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs, and Herges added two hits including a double.  Junior Laura Althoff (Jordan, MN, Jordan) suffered the loss on the mound for the Blazers.

The Blazers take on Indiana Wesley University and Gwynedd-Mercy College Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm and 5 pm.

Beloit Box Score

York Box Score