TUCSON, Ariz. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team picked up two big wins in two very different fashions Tuesday in Tucson.
The first win of the day was a 14-2, six-inning win over SUNY Oneonta where CSB had 16 hits, including six extra-base hits. The second win of the day was a 5-4, come-from-behind, eight-inning win over 21
st-ranked Central College to help push the team's record to 4-0 so far in Arizona.
After recording a single hit, having just four runners reach base and going down 3-0 after five innings, Saint Benedict (9-1) tied up the game in the top of the sixth.
Madison Mikolich singled – her second hit of the game – and
Kate Deming followed with a bunt single. Both runners scored on an RBI triple by
Emilie Antony, and
Sara Wennerstrand hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
First year pitcher
Ally Hjort came in and recorded three straight outs – including a pair of strikeouts – in the bottom of the inning, and she singled and scored on an RBI single from Mikolich to put CSB up 4-3 in the top of the seventh. The Dutch (4-4) tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error, but Hjort struck out three more batters and stranded two runners to send the game to extra innings.
With Deming on second due to the international rule,
Megan Toninato laid down a bunt to send her to third, and she was able to steal home for the eventual winning run. Hjort drew two pop ups to first and catcher
Karlee Pfaff threw the runner on second out trying to steal third to end the game.
CSB finished the game with eight hits – seven of which came in the final three innings. Mikolich went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Antony had two RBIs. Kiela DeVlaeminch threw the first five innings and gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits, and Hjort struck out five and gave up a single run on three hits in the final three innings to earn her third win of the year.
Saint Benedict jumped to an early lead in the first game of the day against Oneonta and never looked back. Deming started the game with a triple and scored on a double from Antony in the first inning, and CSB added five more runs in the second to go up 6-0. Deming and Toninato both had RBI doubles, and CSB took advantage of several Oneonta errors. Antony had a second RBI double and
Claire Boatman sent in a run on an RBI sac fly as part of a two-run fourth, and the team ended the game early thanks to six runs in the sixth. Deming hit a two-run single and
Maya Chuppe and
Amanda Haley each had an RBI single as part of the inning that included several unearned runs.
Deming finished 4-for-5 with a double and a triple, and she had three RBIs. Toninato went 3-for-5, Antony was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Chuppe went 2-for-2 to lead CSB, which had 14 hits.
Cassie Meyer threw the first five innings and gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts to earn the win, and
Jocelyn Metz threw the final inning and gave up a single hit.
CSB returns to the mound at 2:30 p.m. CST Wednesday when it takes on No. 6 Trine University, which made it to the DIII Softball Championship last season. Saint Benedict takes on Coe College at 4:30 p.m. CST.
