First-year pitcher Cassie Meyer after her first collegiate startCLERMONT, Fla. – For the second straight day, the College of Saint Benedict softball team split a pair of games Monday night on its spring break trip in Clermont, Fla. The Blazers lost 6-3 to Aurora to start the afternoon but defeated DeSales 8-0 in five innings at the NTC Complex.
Saint Benedict (4-2) took advantage of hot bats and solid pitching from first year
Cassie Meyer in the win over DeSales. After two scoreless innings,
Emma Steck,
Nicole Nelson and
Kim Lidstone walked to start the third, and MeganToninato sent in three runs with a bases-clearing triple.
Sara Wennerstrand followed with an RBI single, and
Kiela DeVlaeminck added an RBI single to give CSB a 5-0 lead.
The Blazers made it 7-0 in the fourth when Lidstone reached on an error and scored on Toninato's second triple of the night, and Toninato came around to score on another RBI single by Wennerstrand. CSB ended the game early when
Mackenzie Wenner walked, DeVlaeminck singled and Wenner came around to score on an RBI bunt single by Steck.
Meyer, in her first collegiate start, gave up four hits and no runs while striking out three batters. Toninato finished with two hits and four RBIs and Wennerstrand had two hits and two RBIs. DeVlaeminck also had two hits.
Saint Benedict took an early 3-1 lead over Aurora in its first game of the day. Lidstone walked and Toninato singled to start the first, and Wennerstrand sent in CSB's first run with an RBI single.
Melissa Seldon had an RBI single, and Wennerstrand scored on a wild pitch to put the Blazers up 3-1.
That score held until the top of the seventh inning when Aurora took advantage of four hits and three Blazer errors to score five runs – only two earned – to take a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the inning. CSB couldn't get its offense going in the bottom of the inning, and that's where the score stayed.
Seldon finished with a pair of hits for the Blazers and four other players had one hit.
Taylor Ellingson threw all seven inning and gave up six runs on eight hits. She struck out three batters.
The Blazers turn around and play right away Tuesday morning. CSB opens the day against Cabrini at 8 a.m. CDT and then plays Alvernia at 10 a.m. CDT.
