Clermont, Fla. – The Saint Benedict softball team found a new way to win today (Mar. 28), squeaking out a pair of one-run victories, 2-1 over Loras (Iowa) in eight innings, before closing the day with a 1-0 win over Buena Vista (Iowa).
The Blazers have now won a season high five straight games, and improve to 10-4 on the year, already half way to their total of 18 from last season. During the last week in Florida, the Blazers are 8-2, and are 10-2 since dropping their first two games of the season.
In the first game against Loras, the Blazers played their first extra-inning game of the year and broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth. Before the Blazers could scoring the winning run however, starter
Rachel Nelson had had to close out the Duhawks one more time in the top of the inning, getting her 15th strikeout of the game to end the inning.
Playing the international tiebreaker rule, in extra innings a runner is put on second base to start the inning, helping to spur the offense. Undaunted, Nelson got a pair of pop-outs, before the inning-ending strikeout.
Then in the bottom of the eighth, the Blazers also had a runner put on second, and luckily it was
Kim Lidstone who made the last out of the seventh. After the Blazers loaded the bases, Lidstone came home for the winning run, in the 2-1, eight-inning final.
In the second game of the day, the Blazers scored the game's only run in the second, while
Emily Engelmeier and Nelson combined to throw seven shutout innings for the win.
Engelmeier earned the win, starting and allowing just four hits over six innings, while striking out four. Nelson came in in the seventh and allowed one harmless hit in earning the save, also striking out one.
Maddie Lenker scored the Blazers only run, leading off the second with a walk before coming all the way around to score and when Lidstone reached on a bases loaded fielder's choice.
The Blazers will close out their spring trip tomorrow, playing their final two games in a doubleheader with Colby (Maine), with the first pitch scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
