Vadnais Heights, Minn. – The Saint Benedict softball team swept Carleton today (Apr. 30), closing the season with six straight wins after 6-1 and 4-0 victories respectively.
 
Emily Engelmeier (South St. Paul, Minn.) won her school record tying 16th game of the season in game one, and the Blazer softball team clinched a berth in the MIAC Tournament. It will be their first MIAC Tournament appearance since 2006, while their 28 wins is the most since winning 29 games in 2004.
 
Kim Lidstone (Minnetonka, Minn.) started the game one scoring with her second homerun of the season, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, and the Blazers (28-9, 15-7 MIAC) would never trail again. Lidstone would later drive home two more runs in the sixth, eventually scoring the Blazers' sixth run of the game for the final 6-1 score.
 
Engelmeier struck out seven, while the one run to cross the plate was unearned as she tied Stacie Klavitier's single season wins record from back in 1993.
 
In game two, the Blazers quickly went up 4-0 after the first and never looked back. Stephanie Besst (Coon Rapids, Minn.) started the scoring with a two RBI double and one batter later Melissa Seldon (Rosemount, Minn.) added a two RBI single for the 4-0 lead.
 
Four runs is all they would need, as Rachel Nelson (Lindstrom, Minn.) pitched the complete game shutout for her 12th win of the season. It was her 17th complete game and third shutout, also adding six strikeouts to move her season total to 111, just six shy of the single season record.
 
Stacy Svihel (Cold Spring, Minn.) led the offense with three hits, while Lidstone drove in a team high four runs.
 
Ending an eight year playoff draught, the Blazers will open the tournament as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed on Friday, May 2 at Augsburg. They will open up with either No. 1 seeded St. Thomas or No. 2 seeded Gustavus. Bethel will also be in the tournament as either the third or fourth seed. The Blazers split with all three teams in the regular season.