The College of Saint Benedict softball team came up short in a pair of games Tuesday evening against Bethel University.  Both teams entered the doubleheader with a 9-7 record in the MIAC.  The Royals prevailed in the opener with a 6-4 victory in ten innings and completed the sweep with a 8-4 win in the nightcap.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Bethel got on the board first with two runs in the top of the third inning.  The Blazers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning to cut the lead in half before the Royals added another run in the top of the fifth inning.  Trailing 3-1, the Blazers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on back-to-back RBI hits from sophomore Sierra Dooley (Spring Lake Park, MN, Spring Lake Park) and senior Beth Hanson (Faribault, MN, Bethlehem Academy) to tie the game.  The Royals and Blazers traded runs in the seventh inning to send CSB to extra innings for the third consecutive game.  Junior Kristen Herges (Rochester, MN, John Marshall) hit a double to the right-center field fence that allowed junior Abby Richardson (Storm Lake, IA, St. Mary's) to score from first base.   Bethel scored a pair of runs in the top of the tenth inning to take game one 6-4.

Dooley, Herges, Hanson, and junior catcher Carissa Hancock (Grand Rapids, MN, Grand Rapids) collected two hits apiece to pace the CSB offense.  Sophomore pitcher Emma Alwin (Plymouth, MN, Wayzata) took the loss on the mound for CSB.  Alwin pitched ten innings and gave up four earned runs.

In the nightcap, the Royals used six hits to score four runs in the second inning and added another run in the third inning to take an early 5-0 advantage.  After a double by Hancock, CSB got on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Herges singled to center field to score sophomore Lis Wieneke (New Ulm, MN, New Ulm).   The Royals added a run in the fourth inning to extend their lead, but CSB answered with another RBI single from Herges in the bottom half of the inning.  The two teams traded runs again in the sixth inning.  CSB's inning was highlighted by an RBI single from junior outfielder Kirsten Fasching (Montrose, MN, Watertown-Mayer).

Herges, Dooley, and Richardson contributed two hits apiece in game two. 

CSB will travel to the University of St. Thomas tomorrow, April 28, for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. 

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score