ROCHESTER, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team started its 2017 with a nonconference split Sunday night. Saint Benedict lost 9-5 to UW-La Crosse in its first game of the night, but turned around and beat Martin Luther 10-3 at the Rochester Dome in Rochester, Minn.
 
CSB (1-1) took a 3-0 lead on La Crosse after the first inning Sunday night thanks to an RBI double from Karlee Pfaff and a two-run single by Madison Mikolich. CSB made it 4-0 in the second on an RBI single by Emilie Antony, but the Eagles scored three runs – two unearned – in the fourth to make it 4-3, tied the game in the fifth and erupted for five sixth-inning runs to seal the win. La Crosse had four hits, including a three-run triple, in the inning. CSB added one more run in the sixth on an RBI double by Kate Deming.
 
Megan Toninato went 2-for-3 to lead Saint Benedict, which had eight total hits, and Mikolich had two RBIs. Kiela DeVlaeminck threw the first two innings and struck out two batters. Alex Smith gave up four runs off three hits in two innings of work, and Kadee Vesledahl took the loss after giving up five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work. Jocelyn Metz threw the final third of an inning.
 
Martin Luther (0-4) took a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning in Saint Benedict's second game of the night, but CSB used an RBI single from Sara Wennerstrand and an MLC error to score two runs and go up 2-1. CSB added another unearned run after an RBI single by Hailey Monroe in the second and an RBI single from Mikolich in the third, and added three more runs in both the fourth and sixth innings. Pfaff had an RBI single and Antony sent in a run in the fourth, and Pfaff, Amanda Haley and Maya Chuppe all had RBI hits in the sixth inning.
 
Toninato went 2-for-3 again in game two for CSB. Wennerstrand went 3-for-4 and Pfaff was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Chuppe, Monroe and Antony all added two hits for Saint Benedict, which had 18 total hits to Martin Luther's seven. Cassie Meyer threw the first four innings and gave up one run on four hits with two strikeouts to earn the win. Metz threw the final three innings and gave up two runs on three hits with one strikeout.
 
CSB returns to action Monday, March 6, when it plays the first of its 12 games on its annual spring break trip to Clermont, Fla. Saint Benedict returns from Florida Monday, March 13, and is back in action March 25-26 in Pella, Iowa.