DECORAH, Iowa – After coming out on top in two must-win games Saturday afternoon, the College of Saint Benedict's run through the NCAA Regional Tournament came to an end Sunday.
 
CSB – which had 22 hits in two games Saturday – managed just three hits and fell 3-0 to Luther College in the regional championship game. Luther advances to the Super Regional, where it takes on St. Thomas next weekend.
 
Saint Benedict ends its historic season 36-10 overall. Along the way this season, the team beat the No. 5 team in the country; won 10-straight games, including a sweep of St. Kate's to take second in the MIAC, set the school record for wins and made the MIAC Championship game for the first time since 2004.
 
CSB finished 2-2 at the region tournament, and picked up Saint Benedict's first wins at the national tournament in any sport since 2013. CSB had four athletes named to the Decorah, Iowa Regional All-Region Team: designated player Olivia Olson, first baseman Megan Toninato, shortstop Sara Wennerstrand and pitcher Alex Smith.
 
Two of Saint Benedict's three hits came in the first inning Sunday afternoon as Megan Toninato reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a single to left field from Olson. That's as far as they would get, however. Luther went down in order in the bottom of the first, but a CSB error and a bit hit gave the Norse (38-8) all the runs they would need in the bottom of the second.
 
Luther's first batter walked and advanced on a sac bunt, and another batter reached on a fielder's choice and everyone was safe. One run scored on a Saint Benedict error, and Luther plated two more on a two-run double to left field.
 
A strikeout ended the inning, but those three runs turned out to be all Luther needed. Claire Boatman singled in the third and made it to third base on a wild pitch but couldn't get any farther. CSB got runners on in the fourth and fifth, but they failed to advance thanks to a double play three straight outs.
 
Megan Toninato, Olson and Boatman had CSB's three hits. Smith threw her third straight complete game and took the loss on the mound. She gave up three runs – two earned – on five hits with three strikeouts.
 
CSB loses five seniors to graduation in Toninato, Wennerstrand, Kiela DeVlaeminck, Cassie Meyer and Karlee Pfaff, but returns several key players, including Smith and first year pitcher Ally Hjort on the mound, among others.