ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team picked up some momentum heading into its spring break trip Friday night when it swept a nonconference doubleheader against UW-Stout at the Husky Dome in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Blazers (3-1) were just shy of ending both games early, and ended up with a 7-0 win in the first game and a 10-4 victory in the second game.
Saint Benedict took advantage of five Blue Devil errors in the first game to pull ahead early.
Kate Deming reached on a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, then came around to score on an RBI groundout by
Megan Toninato to put CSB up 1-0 in the first. After a scoreless second inning, the Blazers added five more runs – all unearned – in the third.
Toninato had an RBI double,
Sara Wennerstrand reached on an error and sent in a run and
Nicole Nelson had an RBI double, and Stout had four errors to help CSB's cause. CSB scored its lone earned run of the game in the fourth on an RBI single by Wennerstrand to make it 7-0.
Deming had two hits and Toninato, Wennerstrand and Nelson all had two RBIs for the Blazers, who had seven hits.
Kiela DeVlaeminck threw all seven innings and gave up no runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
CSB took an early lead again in the second game thanks to a three-run first inning. Toninato added an RBI single to her resume, and Wennerstrand had a two-run homer to make it 3-0 after one inning, and the two did it again in the second – Toninato had an RBI double and Wennerstrand added her second two-run homer in as many at-bats to put the Blazers up 6-0.
CSB made it 8-0 in the third on a two-run homer by
Emilie Antony, but Stout scored three runs in the fourth to keep the game going.
Madison Mikolich had an RBI double and
Linsey Sanchez recorded an RBI groundout to give CSB two more runs, and the Blazers held on for the 10-4 win.
Wennerstrand had three hits and four RBIs to pace CSB, which had 11 total hits. Deming, Toninato and Mikolich all had multiple hits for the Blazers.
Cassie Meyer earned the win after giving up four runs on seven hits in five innings of work. She had two strikeouts.
Claire Haddick threw the final two innings and gave up one hit and struck out three batters.
The Blazers are off now until they travel to Clermont, Fla., for their spring break trip. CSB leaves March 19, and starts play on March 20.
