ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – It all comes down to this for the College of Saint Benedict softball team.
 
CSB plays its final MIAC doubleheader of the regular season Saturday, April 27, when it hosts St. Olaf at 1 p.m. The Oles head into the game in third – two games ahead of CSB in the standings – and Saint Benedict is fifth, so the Bennies need a sweep to have a shot at making the four-team postseason tournament.
 
About the Oles
St. Olaf is coming in hot heading into Saturday's doubleheader. The Oles - who are 25-11 overall and 15-5 in the MIAC - have won eight straight games thanks to four straight conference sweeps – including 3-1 and 2-1 wins against Carleton Wednesday. St. Olaf has won 11 of its last 12 games dating back to April 6. Junior pitcher Julie Graf leads the conference – and is near the top of the NCAA softball rankings at all levels – with 288 strikeouts this season, including 19 in the team's 3-1 win over the Knights. She owns a 1.92 ERA. Emily Carr just set the school record for RBIs in a career, and also passed the 100-run mark in her career.
 
The Storyline
These two games are key for both teams. The Oles are in third – just behind St. Kate's – in the conference standings, and have the chance to move into second. Saint Benedict, on the other hand, is in fifth – a single spot out of the four-team tournament. The league standings won't be final until Monday as Hamline plays a trio of doubleheaders between Saturday and Monday and is currently in fourth – but a split or a sweep against the Oles would help CSB move up and potentially secure a MIAC berth. CSB heads into the games 25-11 overall like the Oles, but with a 13-7 conference mark.
 
Who to Watch
First year Olivia McCabe had a huge week last week, as she led the team with a better than .500 batting average in eight games last week and hit three home runs, including a grand slam at Concordia. Ally Hjort stayed hot on the mound and finished the week 5-1 with a 0.91 ERA and 29 strikeouts to bring her sophomore season total to 99. Senior Kate Deming added 11 hits to her season total last week and currently sits just seven hits away from tying the school record for hits in a season at 63.