St. Paul, Minn. –
Kim Lidstone had two hits in each game, running her streak to 29 straight as the Saint Benedict softball team fell twice to St. Catherine today (Apr. 25).
Lidstone went a combined 4-for-8 on the day, with a run scored and a RBI added in. With two hits in each game, she also runs her streak of two-hit games to nine straight, while raising her season average to .465 with a team leading 53 hits.
The Blazers (17-13, 6-8 MIAC) though were not fortunate on the day, seeing early leads fade in each game as host St. Catherine (11-12, 3-7) won 7-4 in the first game, and 6-4 in the second.
In game one the Blazers ran out to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first and looked in charge and on the way to their fourth straight win.
Lexi Alm started the scoring with RBI double, driving in her team-leading 30th run on the year. Next, a first-and-third double steal brought Alm home, and one batter later
Maddie Lenker drove in the third run with a single to right center.
Starter
Emily Engelmeier worked a scoreless first but in the second was stung for five hits and seven runs and the Blazers never led again. Five the runs came of home runs, including a two-out grand slam on the inning's ninth batter.
Engelmeier settled down and allowed just two more hits in the game, but the offense could only manage one more run. Engelmeier falls to 6-7 on the year, allowing all seven runs earned, on eight hits.
In the second game, the Blazers again struck first with Alm again driving in the first run, this time with a two RBI double in the third. The Wildcats came back to take a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning, but in the fifth, Engelmeier knocked out her team-leading sixth home run of the year and the Blazers were back in front 4-3.
Like the second inning of game one, a big fifth inning for the Wildcats turned game two in their favor. Nine batters led to three runs and a 6-4 lead, which is where the game would stay.
Rachel Thompson started for just the second time all season, and pitched all seven innings, allowing just two of the runs earned, while striking out three and walking one. She took the loss though and falls to 1-1 on the year.
Outside of the two bad innings, the Blazers outscored the Wildcats 8-3 over the two games.
Lidstone's four hits led the offense, while Alm and Engelmeier each added three.
The Blazers will have little time to wait to bounce back, as they take the field again tomorrow (Apr. 26) at St. Olaf in a 3:30 p.m. match-up in Northfield, Minn.
