ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The first game of a doubleheader between the College of Saint Benedict softball team and St. Kate's was wild from start to finish.
The game – which took nearly four hours to finish after an hour-long weather delay – ended with CSB winning 13-4. It started when the Wildcats scored a trio of first-inning runs. But CSB scored multiple runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the delay, and first year
Mo Burns ended the game early with a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth coming out of the delay.
The second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to snowy, cold conditions Sunday afternoon in St. Joseph. A makeup date has yet to be determined.
Burns' final big hit was just icing on the cake for the first year, who finished 5-for-5 with four singles, a home run and seven RBIs. She had two run singles as part of CSB's three-run fourth and four-run fifth innings, and her three-run homer in the sixth pushed the team's lead to nine runs to end it early.
It was the Wildcats with the hot bats to start the game. St. Kate's (10-7, 0-1) scored a trio of runs on four hits and one CSB error to take a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Kate Deming walked then scored on an error in the bottom of the inning, and CSB cut the lead to 3-2 in the third when Deming singled and came around to score on an RBI sac fly from
Sheridan Glashan.
Saint Benedict took a two-run lead thanks to a three-run fourth inning.
Kendra Swanson led off with a solo homer,
Lizzy Walker tripled and, after Deming was intentionally walked, Burns hit her first two-run single of the game. The Wildcats threatened in the fifth but failed to score, and CSB added four runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 9-3. Deming hit a two-run double and Burns had a two-run single for CSB, which had four hits and took advantage of one Wildcat error.
The game was halted for an hour following the fifth as the snow began to fall harder, but play resumed in the top of the sixth. St. Kate's got one run back with a solo home run and loaded the bases, but couldn't get any more runners over home plate. The Wildcats got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, but
Olivia McCabe singled and Walker had an RBI triple. Deming was intentionally walked for the second time in the game, but Burns made St. Kate's pay with her shot over the left-field fence.
Burns' five hits and seven RBIs paced CSB, which had 15 total this. Deming went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a trio of walks – two intentional – and Walker went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two triples. Swanson and
Claire Boatman also had two hits.
Ally Hjort threw the first five innings and picked up the win after giving up three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
Alex Smith threw the final inning and gave up one run on one hit.
CSB returns to action Tuesday, April 2, when it hosts Macalester in a game originally scheduled for Saturday. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. in St. Joseph.
