Clermont, Fla. – The Saint Benedict softball split today (Mar. 24), falling 7-6 to Wisconsin-Whitewater before coming right back to score a 6-4 win over Western Connecticut State.
Playing a pair of teams that won 30 games last season, the Blazers (5-3) played one of their best series of the year, giving themselves a chance for a win in each game.
Rachel Nelson took the decision in each, pitching the final three innings against the Warhawks, before throwing her fourth complete game of the season against the Colonials to earn her third win.
In the first game of the day against the Warhawks the Blazers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, getting a pair from
Mackenzie Wenner's two-run home run. The lead was quickly erased, though, as UWW came back in the bottom of the inning with four of its own.
Emily Engelmeier started for the Blazers and settled down after the shootout of a first inning, keeping the Warhawks off the board for the next three frames while the Blazers built up a 6-4 lead on the preseason WIAC champions.
Nelson took over in the fifth with the two-run lead, looking for the long save, but the Warhawks had other plans, tying the game in the bottom of the inning before plating the winning run in the sixth.
Playing back-to-back games, the Blazers wasted little time in shrugging off the tough loss, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the bottom of the first against the Colonials. CSB would never trail in earning possibly their most impressive win yet.
Western Connecticut State did answer with two runs in the top of the second but the Blazers effectively put the game away with three more in the third, while Nelson kept the Colonials off the board until two harmless runs in the seventh.
Kim Lidstone scored the first 4-for-4 game of her career, finishing an impressive 6-for-6 eight on the day.
Lexi Alm stole three bases in game two, after a two-hit game to start the day.
Now 3-1 in the Sunshine State, the Blazers' road gets even tougher tomorrow, taking on defending regional champion Luther at 8 a.m., and following it up with Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 10 a.m.
