ROCHESTER, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team picked up a trio of wins over the weekend at the RCTC Dome in Rochester. CSB finished the weekend 3-1 to improve to 5-1 overall so far in 2018.
 
CSB started the weekend with a 9-7 loss to Carroll (Wis.) Saturday night. Saint Benedict led 5-1 after two innings thanks in part to a two-run single from Emilie Antony, but Carroll added five runs in the third to take a 6-5 lead. CSB tied the game in the bottom of the inning and took a 7-6 lead in the fourth thanks to an RBI sac fly from Olivia Olson, but Carroll added three seventh-inning runs to earn the win.
 
Six different players had one hit for CSB, and Antony finished with two RBIs. Cassie Meyer threw the first two innings and gave up six runs on five hits. Alex Smith took the loss after giving up three runs on eight hits in the final five innings.
 
Saint Benedict bounced back right away Friday night with a 6-3 win over UW-La Crosse. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead after one inning, but Madison Mikolich had an RBI single to tie the game in the second, and Olson had an RBI double and Claire Boatman added a two-run single to give CSB a 5-1 lead after three innings. CSB added a single run in the fifth to help hold on for the win. Antony finished 3-for-4 to lead CSB, which had 10 hits. Boatman went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Kiela DeVlaeminck threw the first six innings and gave up three runs on five hits with six strikeouts to earn the win. Jocelyn Metz threw the final inning and struck out one.
 
Sunday afternoon, Saint Benedict picked up its first shutout of the season when it beat Nebraska Wesleyan 4-0. Antony had an RBI sac fly, Kate Deming sent in a run with a double, Megan Toninato had an RBI double and Kendra Swanson hit an RBI single for CSB. First year pitcher Ally Hjort had a big game on the mound, giving up just three hits in 27 batters faced. She struck out eight NWU batters to earn the first win of her CSB career.
 
CSB wrapped up the weekend with a come-from-behind win against a tough UW-Eau Claire squad. The Blugolds took a 3-1 lead after one inning, and pushed their lead to 5-2 after five innings, but Saint Benedict scored seven unanswered runs in the final three innings to pull away for the 9-5 win. Boatman had a two-riun single as part of a three-run fifth inning, and Olson added an RBI single to her weekend total in the sixth to put CSB up 6-5. Saint Benedict added three runs in the seventh thanks to an RBI single from Deming, a passed ball and a bases-loaded walk.
 
Deming went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and Antony and Boatman both went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead CSB, which had 10 total hits. Metz threw the first two innings and gave up four runs on five hits. DeVlaemicnk earned the win after giving up a single run on three hits with two strikeouts in four innings, and Hjort threw the final inning to hold the Blugolds scoreless in the seventh.
 
CSB returns to action March 5-10 when it travels to Tucson, Ariz., for its annual spring break trip. Of its 10 games played in Arizona, four opponents are currently ranked in the top 25 in Division III.