| Sunday Live Stats |
 
St. Joseph, MN – With a record of 17-6 the Saint Benedict softball team continues their success into the middle of their season with three wins in their past four games. Junior catcher, Mackenzie Wenner (St. Peter, Minn.) has been a big part of their success this season.
 
Her two home runs against Concordia last weekend gave her a total of three on the season, which leads the team.  She also leads the team with 11 walks and has 13 RBI so far on the year.
 
And with that success, Wenner has also had plenty of fun this season. "The beginning of the season has been a balance of having fun and finding success," she explained. "One of our big goals since our current seniors were first-years has been to beat St. Thomas. Doing that this past weekend was a great experience and a ton of fun."
 
The team's early success has given Wenner a lot of hope for the rest of the year as well. "Our early success has given us confidence for the future. We've played some really good teams early, and we've won some big games. Beating the No. 17 ranked team in the nation is something we are proud of, and we've worked hard for."
 
This momentum is sure to help the Blazers as they head to Winona tomorrow (Apr. 12) to face off against Saint Mary's.
 
Wenner and the rest of the Blazers are finally able to start playing outside and will spend the next couple weeks adjusting to the difference in play. "So far this season since we've gotten back from Florida we've been playing on turf football fields. Although it has been nice to able to play outside, things are a lot different when playing on dirt. The ball can take unexpected hops. One thing we will be focusing on this week is just to get comfortable with playing outside."
 
Wenner has also had the advantage of sitting behind the plate for two pitchers who are also having great seasons.
 
"Both Emily (Engelmeier) and Rachel (Nelson) have worked incredibly hard this season and in the off-season. They are always putting in the extra time to get better. Most teams have at least three pitchers, and these two have really stepped up for our team," said Wenner. "It's an honor to be able to catch for two of the best pitchers in the MIAC."
 
Wenner contributes a lot of the team's success this year to how well they play together.  "Every person on our team has a specific role and when we come together, we are able to accomplish the goals we set in the beginning of the season. Our competition might have a better record than us, or better stats, but we come into every game with the mentality that we will play together as a team all seven innings. This is why we've been successful."