PELLA, Iowa – The College of Saint Benedict softball team was on the verge of its second upset of a ranked team Sunday afternoon, but Central College rallied late in Game 1 and used a big second inning to end Game 2 in six innings Sunday to hand CSB a pair of nonconference losses in Pella, Iowa.
Saint Benedict led Central, which is ranked 22
nd in Division III, 6-1 after the top of the fifth, and 6-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning of the first game, but the Dutch (15-3) rallied for four runs to win 7-6, and then won the second game 9-1 in six innings. Sunday's doubleheader ended up being CSB's only games of the weekend as its doubleheader against Simpson scheduled for Saturday was canceled due to poor field conditions.
Central scored a run in the first inning to take an early lead in game one, but Saint Benedict (11-5) scored twice in the third on a sac fly by
Emilie Antony and a Central error. CSB took a 6-1 lead in the top of the fifth thanks to six straight singles with two outs.
Sara Wennerstrand,
Karlee Pfaff and
Claire Boatman all sent in runs for CSB, which was helped out by another Dutch error.
The Dutch got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of hits, and then used a seventh-inning rally to come away with the win. Central had four hits, including a two-run double and an RBI single, and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
Kate Deming,
Megan Toninato and Pfaff all had two hits for Saint Benedict, which had nine total hits.
Kiela DeVlaeminck picked up the loss – her first of the season – after giving up seven runs on second hits with five strikeouts.
Alex Smith faced one batter in the seventh inning.
Central used the momentum from its walkoff win to take an early lead in the second game. The Dutch batted around in the second inning and scored six runs on six hits and two Saint Benedict errors. Central added a single run on a solo homer in the third before CSB got on the board thanks to an RBI fielder's choice by
Claire Boatman in the fourth. Central ended the game early thanks to three hits – including a double and a triple – in the sixth inning.
Antony had two of CSB's four hits in the second game against Central. Smith took the loss, her first, after giving up seven runs on eight hits in three innings.
Cassie Meyer threw the final 2.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.
CSB is back in action and opens MIAC play Saturday, April 1, when it travels to Moorhead, Minn., to take on Concordia College. Saint Benedict is scheduled to play at home for the first time at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 2, when it hosts Saint Mary's.
