ST. PAUL, Minn. – Twice Thursday night the College of Saint Benedict softball team rallied from behind to stay within reach of Hamline University, and twice their comeback efforts fell just short.
The Blazers fell 6-4 to the Pipers in the first game and lost the second 6-5 in nine innings in a MIAC doubleheader in St. Paul, Minn. CSB is now 16-15 overall and 5-8 in the conference. Hamline continues to lead the MIAC with a 15-1 MIAC record and a 22-6 overall mark.
In the nightcap Thursday, the Blazers were down 5-1 heading into the sixth inning, but CSB made it a two-run game thanks to a pair of runs.
Sara Wennerstrand singled to start and advanced to third on a double by
Melissa Seldon.
Mackenzie Wenner drove in two runs with an single to center to make it 5-3. The Blazers tied the game in the top of the seventh thanks to a double from
Kim Lidstone, a Hamline fielding error and a two-run single by Seldon.
The Pipers advanced a runner to second in the seventh inning but failed to score and sent the game to extras. Hamline got a runner to first on a single in the eighth, but she didn't advance any farther. Lidstone doubled to start the ninth, but she was stranded when the next two batters popped out and grounded out. CSB got the first out of the ninth on a line out to second, but the second batter doubled and advanced on a single to third. The Pipers scored the go-ahead run on an RBI fielder's choice to win the game.
The Blazers got on the board first against the Pipers when Wennerstrand hit an RBI single in the first inning. The Pipers used three hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. And pushed that lead to four, 5-1, thanks to two hits and one Blazer error in the bottom of the third.
Lidstone finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored to lead Saint Benedict, which had nine hits. Seldon went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Wennerstrand was 2-for-5.
Melissa Seldon threw the first three innings and gave up five runs on six hits, but it was
Taylor Ellingson who took the loss after giving up the ninth-inning run. She gave up a single run and five hits in 5.1 innings of work.
The first game of the day didn't go to extra innings, but the Blazers made a nice comeback to keep it close. CSB was down 6-1 heading into the sixth, but scored three runs to make it a two-run game heading into the final inning.
Wenner led off the inning with a single, and
Hannah Nelson came in as a pinch runner. Nelson advanced to third on a single by Seldon and a Hamline throwing error, and scored on an RBI single by
Kiela DeVlaeminck.
Kristen Eustice came in to run for DeVlaeminck, and she stole second. Seldon scored on an RBI bunt by
Nicole Nelson, and Eustice came around to score on an RBI single by
Bailey O'Hotto. That's where the score would stay, however, as the Pipers' defense sat the Blazers down in order in the top of the seventh.
After a scoreless first inning, the Blazers got on the board first thanks to a sac bunt by O'Hotto. Hamline tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single, and made it a 3-1 game in the third thanks to a wild pitch and a two-run single. The Pipers pushed their lead to five thanks to one hit and one CSB error in a three-run fifth inning before the Blazers made their comeback.
Seldon had two of CSB's eight hits in the first game and O'Hotto had a pair of RBIs.
Cassie Meyer threw the first 4.1 innings and took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits. Ellingson threw the final 1.2 innings and didn't give up a single hit or run.
CSB returns home Saturday, April 18 when it hosts Augsburg at 1 p.m. The Blazers finish their halted game with Macalester at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 19, and then play St. Kate's at 2 p.m. that same day.
