ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – It was a tale of two games for the College of Saint Benedict softball team against No. 12 St. Thomas Monday afternoon.
 
The Blazers won the first game 2-1 in a defensive battle that featured solid pitching from both teams, but the Tommies bounced back to win the second game 8-0 on the CSB campus in St. Joseph, Minn.
 
The St. Thomas defense came out strong, and didn't allow the Blazers to get a runner on base until the third inning. The first two batters got out for CSB, but Melissa Seldon hit a solo home run over the right-field fence to put CSB up 1-0.
 
The Tommies tied the game in the top of the fourth inning when Megan Bush doubled and Danielle Wigen, who was pinch running, advanced on a groundout. Heather Kascht reached on a fielder's choice and Wigen was able to score on a throwing error by CSB pitcher Kiela DeVlaeminck.
 
St. Thomas (18-4, 2-2) threatened again in the sixth when Katie Jo Delisle doubled to start the inning. Sarah Grady took over as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a groundout and she appeared to reach home on a sac fly, but was called out for leaving early to leave the score tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Bailey O'Hotto singled for CSB in the bottom of the inning but was stranded. St. Thomas used a pair of singles and a hit by pitch to load the bases in the seventh, but DeVlaeminck got the Tommies to hit into a groundout to end the inning.
 
Mackenzie Wenner singled to start the bottom of the seventh, and Kristen Eustice came in as a pinch runner and advanced on a single by DeVlaeminck. Becky Gigstad sent in the game-winning run and finished the upset of the Tommies with a walkoff RBI double.
 
Six different players had a single hit for the Blazers. DeVlaeminck threw all seven innings and earned the win. She scattered seven hits over seven innings and gave up a single unearned run. She struck out five batters.
 
St. Thomas came out swinging in the second game and took a 2-0 lead thanks to four hits in the first inning. The Tommies doubled their score and made it 4-0 in the second, and took a 6-0 lead with two more runs in the fourth. CSB's best chance to score came in the second when Taylor Ellingson reached on a fielder's choice, advanced on a fly out by Wenner and got to third on a single by DeVlaeminck, but she stalled at third. The Tommies added a single run in the fifth and sixth innings to end the game early.
 
Sara Wennerstrand and DeVlaeminck had CSB's only hits in the second game. Ellingson threw the first 3.1 innings and took the loss after giving up six runs on 10 hits. She struck out three batters. Cassie Meyer threw the final 2.2 innings and gave up two runs on five hits.
 
Saint Benedict is now 12-8 overall and 1-1 in the MIAC. The Blazers are back at home Thursday, April 2, when they host Gustavus at 3:30 p.m.