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Box Score 1 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Macalester |
5 |
10 |
0 |
|
Saint Benedict |
6 |
11 |
1 |
|
Box Score 2 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Macalester |
1 |
6 |
1 |
|
Saint Benedict |
4 |
8 |
0 |
Rosemount, Minn. – Good starting pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting will take a team a long way, and the Blazers were clicking in all three categories on Sunday night (Apr. 21), as swept away Macalester with a 6-5 win in game one, and a 4-1 win in game two.
Rachel Nelson got stung for four runs over the first two innings of the first game, but after, settled down to throw a perfect third and fourth. When it was over, she had allowed just four total hits and only one run after the second inning, and fittingly stuck out the final batter with runners on second and third to give the Blazers a chance in the bottom of the seventh.
And then the Blazers took advantage. With two outs,
Emily Engelmeier battled through seven pitches for a walk, and then with the winning run on third,
Maddie Lenker went strike-strike-foul-foul before sending the fifth consecutive strike she saw into left center to bring home the winning run in the 6-5 decision.
In game two, Engelmeier was in the circle and scattered two harmless hits over the first two innings, before allowing her only run in the third.
Lexi Alm gave the Blazers an early lead they would never lose, with her two-run homer in the first inning, the second of the day for the Blazer center fielder.
The Blazers went up 3-0 in the second, before the Scots got one back in the third. Then right away again in the fourth, the Blazers answered to go back up 4-1, where the score would stay.
Engelmeier worked out of a jam in the fifth, and closed the game with a five
(yep, five) pitch seventh for the win.
Nelson walked none and struck out seven in improving to 10-5 on the year, while Engelmeier allowed just six hits and got back to the .500 mark at 6-6.
As a team the Blazers get back to even in MIAC action at 6-6, while moving within one win of last year win total at 17-11, and are riding a three-game winning streak. Macalester fell to 11-17 overall and 3-7 in the MIAC after the losses.
And as for that part about solid defense, the Blazers made just one error on the day (which led to exactly zero runs) and for just the second time in MIAC play, played error free in the second game.
All signs point to the Blazers being postponed with St. Olaf on Monday, which leaves them getting ready to head to St. Catherine on Thursday (Apr. 25) for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader.
