Clermont, Fla. – The Saint Benedict softball team kicked off their spring break tour today (Mar. 1) in a double-header which started with a game against Muhlenberg College at 1:00 p.m. and finished with a matchup against Ohio Northern University at 3:00 p.m.
 
In their first game against Muhlenberg, the Blazers suffered a close loss by a score of 1-2.  The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when the Mules scored their first run. The Blazers then responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game. The Mules then came back with another run in the top of the seventh inning and played strong defense to stop the Blazer's offense.
 
Rachel Nelson (Lindstrom, Minn.) pitched a solid game and finished with eight strikeouts and one walk. Nelson also gave up nine hits as the Blazer's defense finished with three errors. Offensively, Stacy Svihel (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Maddie Lenker (Eden Prairie, Minn.) led the team with two hits each, Svihel with two singles and Lenker with a single and a double.  The Blazers combined for eight hits in this game as the Mule's defense gave up two errors. The Blazers left 13 runners on base in this game, which led to missed opportunities with runners in scoring position.
 
In their second game of the day against Ohio Northern, the Blazers walked away with a huge 13-5 win in just six innings due to their eight run lead after five innings. The Blazers jumped ahead early in this game and took a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Their offense then began to dominate as they scored two more runs in the second inning followed by three more in the third, two in the fourth and four runs in the fifth inning. At this point, the Blazers led the Polar Bears 12-0 in the fifth inning. This would have ended the game due to the mercy rule, which gives the win to any team leading by eight or more after five innings, but the Polar Bears scored five runs to put themselves down by seven runs. The Blazers then came back in the next inning to score one more run to give them a 13-5 lead to end the game.
 
Emily Engelmeier (South St. Paul, Minn.) took the win on the mound and finished with six strikeouts and two walks as the Blazers gave up 10 hits and had one error. Svihel led the Blazers offensively again as she finished 4 for 4 with a double and a triple. Kim Lidstone (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Lexi Alm (Stacy, Minn.) each added another two hits to their team's total of 13, as they both scored twice as well. Alm also had two triples as 15 of the Blazer's 19 players all pitched in for this solid win.
 
The Blazers will play another double-header tomorrow (Mar. 2) against Aurora University at 3:00 p.m. and then John Carroll University at 5:00 p.m. With a record of 3-1, the Blazers will look to gain more momentum as they head into the beginning of their season.