Video: Emma Steck talks about CSB's split and her solo homerST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team continued its pattern of MIAC splits Tuesday afternoon, falling 13-4 to Saint Mary's University in the first game and bouncing back to win game two 3-1.
This marks the fifth conference split of the year for the Blazers, and the third time CSB has dropped the first game against a conference foe, only to bounce back and win the second. CSB is now 16-13 overall and 5-6 and in seventh in the conference with five doubleheaders left to play.
The Blazers scored in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead on Saint Mary's (13-13, 7-7) when
Kim Lidstone tripled and scored when
Sara Wennerstrand reached on an error. The Cardinals tied the game in the second on an RBI single, but
Emma Steck gave CSB all the runs it would need with a solo homer over the left-field fence – her second in the past three games – in the bottom of the inning.
CSB added one more run in the fourth when Lidstone and
Megan Toninato singled, and Lidstone came around to score on an RBI single by Wennerstrand. Saint Mary's loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but CSB pitcher
Melissa Seldon drew a groundout and struck out the final batter of the inning to end the threat.
Lidstone went 3-for-4 to lead CSB, which had six total hits. Seldon threw all seven innings to earn the win. She scattered nine hits over seven innings and gave up a single run while striking out three batters.
The first game was high scoring from the beginning. Saint Mary's scored three runs in the top of the first thanks to four hits, but the Blazers answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Lidstone singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Toninato.
Mackenzie Wenner walked and Seldon singled to load the bases, and
Becky Gigstad was hit by a pitch to send in a second run.
Kristen Eustice scored the third run of the inning with an RBI groundout.
SMU took a 4-3 lead in the second on a solo home run, and that lead held until the fourth when Eustice singled, advanced on a sac bunt by
Nicole Nelson and scored on an RBI single by Lidstone to tie the game at 4-4. The Cardinals, however, took advantage of three hits and three CSB errors to break the game open with five runs in the fifth inning. CSB got one out, gave up two singles and then got the second out, but SMU hit a two-run double and three batters reached on errors.
The Cardinals added four more runs in the seventh thanks to three hits and two more CSB errors, and the Blazers failed to score in the bottom of the inning.
Lidstone finished 2-for-4 and Seldon was 2-for-3 to lead CSB, which had eight hits.
Cassie Meyer threw the first 4.1 innings and took the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits.
Taylor Ellingson threw the final 2.2 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits.
CSB is back in action Thursday, April 16, when it travels to St. Paul, Minn., to play Hamline University. The Pipers currently lead the MIAC with a 13-1 conference mark.
