ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team wraps up the 2019 season Tuesday afternoon with a nonconference doubleheader at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bollinger Fields in Eau Claire, Wis.
 
CSB was in playoff contention after a split with St. Olaf Saturday, but Hamline swept Concordia Sunday and Bethel Monday to earn the fourth and final spot in the MIAC Tournament.
 
About the Blugolds
UWEC heads into its last game of the regular season 23-8-1 overall and receiving votes in the latest NFCA poll. The Blugolds wrapped up MIAC play Sunday with a pair of losses to UW-Whitewater, including a 13-inning, one-run loss in the first game. First year Meghan Witt leads the team with a .396 batting average, and sophomore Abbey Place has a team-high 35 hits and 17 RBIs. On the mound, both Cheyenne Johnson and Sarah Peka have an ERA of less than 2.0 and a combined 112 strikeouts.
 
Last Meeting
Saint Benedict and Eau Claire played last season at the Rochester Dome, and CSB won 9-5. The Blugolds took a 5-2 lead after the fourth inning, but CSB scored six unanswered runs to pull away for the win. Claire Boatman had a big two-run double in the fifth and Kate Deming had an RBI single in the seventh. Ally Hjort came in and shut the Blugolds down in the final inning to help preserve the win.
 
The Storyline
Eau Claire's season continues this weekend with the WIAC Championships. The Blugolds earned the No. 1 seed and take on UW-Platteville at noon. CSB, on the other hand, finished fifth in the MIAC at 26-12 overall and 14-8 in the MIAC and just missed a spot in the league's postseason tournament. The team looks to finish the season on a high note, however, with wins over an Eau Claire team that is receiving votes nationally and ranked third in its region. CSB is eighth in the Midwest region rankings.
 
Who to Watch
First year pitcher Grace Gilmore had a solid Game 2 against St. Olaf yesterday to help CSB beat the Oles and keep their playoff hope alive. She gave up a single run and struck out eight batters to bring her weekly strikeout total to 18 after a career-high 10 strikeouts at Concordia last Monday. Senior center fielder Kate Deming broke the school record for hits in a career earlier this season, and, heading into Tuesday, is just five hits away from tying the school's single-season hits record. The current record is 63, set in 2004 by Michelle Boys.
 
Sophomore left Ally Hjort had six strikeouts Saturday in the team's first game against Olaf to bring her season total to 105. She is the first CSB pitcher to reach the 100-strikeout milestone in a season since Rachel Nelson in 2014.