EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team wrapped up the 2019 season with a big win Tuesday as it beat regionally ranked UW-Eau Claire – which is receiving votes in Division III – 10-1 in six innings. The big win secured a split with the Blugolds, and helped the team end the season on a high note.
CSB was still in playoff contention after a split with St. Olaf Saturday to end the MIAC regular season, but Hamline swept Concordia Sunday and Bethel Monday to earn the fourth and final spot in the postseason. But Saint Benedict took advantage Tuesday, as seven players combined for 13 hits in a big game two win.
Senior
Kate Deming solidified her spot in CSB and MIAC history Tuesday. Deming, the first CSB softball player to reach the 200-hit milestone, added a single hit in Game 1 and three more – including a solo home run in her first at-bat of the game – in the nightcap. She wraps up her career with a school-record 228 hits, and also finishes her career fifth in MIAC history. She ends the season with 62 hits – one shy of the school record for hits in a season.
Deming's homer – her second of the season and sixth of her career – set the tone for the second game Tuesday in Eau Claire.
Madison Mikolich had an RBI groundout to make it 2-0 after one inning, and the Blugolds (24-9-1) got one back in the bottom of the inning, but
Codi Zwack hit into an RBI fielder's choice and
Sheridan Glashan had a two-run single to make it 5-1 after two innings.
Neither team scored for the next three innings, but CSB ended the game early thanks to a five-run sixth. Zwack and
Claire Boatman led off with singles, and both scored on a two-run single from
Emilie Antony. Deming had an RBI single in the final at-bat of her career to end scoring for the game.
Deming finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs to pace CSB, which had 13 hits. Zwack, Antony,
Olivia McCabe and
Kennedy Kehr all added two hits, and Antony and Glashan each had a pair of RBIs.
Grace Gilmore picked up her sixth win of the year after giving up a single run on two hits in five innings of work. She struck out six batters.
Alex Smith didn't give up a hit in the final inning.
In the first game,
Ally Hjort threw a two-hitter, but CSB couldn't get its bats going either, and the team fell 3-0 to the Blugolds. Deming led off the game with a single and advanced on a passed ball, but was stranded at second. She reached on an error in the third inning and made it to third before being stranded, and CSB left the bases loaded in the fourth.
UWEC got a leadoff triple in the third and used an RBI fielder's choice and a Saint Benedict error to score two runs, and made it 3-0 in the fifth on a single, a CSB error and an RBI sac fly.
Glashan had a pair of hits to lead CSB. Hjort picked up just her fourth loss of the season on the mound. She gave up three hits – just one earned – on two hits with four strikeouts in five innings.
Lauren York threw the final inning.
Tuesday marked the final games in a CSB uniform for Deming, Boatman, Antony and Mikolich. The foursome finished their four-year careers 112-54 overall and a 30-win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament under their belts. The team finished 2019 27-13 overall and 14-8 and fifth in the MIAC.
