LEESBURG, Fla. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team got off to a hot start Monday afternoon with a pair of high-scoring wins in Florida. CSB finished the day with 30 runs and 34 hits in a 10-9 win against Heidelberg and a 20-14 win over Emmanuel.
CSB (3-1) took a 1-0 lead against Heidelberg in the first thanks to a single by
Megan Toninato, who then stole second and scored on a wild pitch. Heidelberg took a 3-1 lead in the third thanks to a three-run homer, but Saint Benedict scored six runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-3.
Sara Wennerstrand had a two-run double,
Olivia Olson had a grand slam – the first homer of her career and the first home run of the season for CSB.
Saint Benedict added a run in the fifth on an RBI double by
Sarah McGoldrick and two in the sixth thanks to a passed ball and an RBI single by Olson to make it 10-3 heading into the top of the seventh. Heidelberg scored six runs on five hits and three CSB errors to get within a single run in the seventh, and had the tying run on third base, but CSB made the final out to hold on for the win.
Olson went 2-for-4 with five RBIs for CSB and Toninato finished 3-for-4. Wennerstrand,
Madison Mikolich and
Kendra Swanson also finished with two hits each.
Kiela DeVlaeminck threw the first four innings and earned the win after giving up three runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Alex Smith gave up six runs on five hits with two strikeouts in the final three innings.
The second game was back and forth throughout, and CSB and Emmanuel combined for 34 runs and 31 hits. CSB scored three runs in the first off RBI singles from
Emilie Antony and Wennerstrand and an RBI groundout from Mikolich, and two in the second off a single from
Kate Deming and triple from Antony to go up 5-1.
Emmanuel scored five runs in the bottom of the second to go up 6-5, but CSB tied the game in the fourth and added six more runs in the fifth to go up 10-6. Deming had a two-run single and Antony had a three-run double in the inning. Emmanuel came right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning – including three solo home runs – but Saint Benedict answered against with four runs of its own in the sixth thanks to another RBI single from Deming and a two-run single by Toninato.
CSB wrapped up the win with four runs in the seventh. Deming, Toninato and
Hailey Monroe all had RBIs.
Deming finished game two 5-for-5 with five RBIs and six runs scored and Antony went 5-for-6 with seven RBIs. Toninato had three hits and three RBIs and Olson added two hits.
Kadee Vesledahl picked up the first win of her CSB career after giving up eight runs on five hits with four strikeouts in the final 4.1 innings of play.
Cassie Meyer threw the first 1.2 innings and
Jocelyn Metz also threw one inning.
CSB returns to action with a pair of games Tuesday, March 7, against Alfred and Mount Union.
