ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team was hot at the plate and on the mound Sunday afternoon in a nonconference sweep of Gustavus.
 
Pitchers Elly Novak and Ally Hjort combined to give up just four hits and no runs and struck out 14 batters while the team's offense recorded 25 hits as the Bennies (3-1) beat the Gusties 4-0 and 11-0 at the team's turf field at the OAC.
 
After recording a career-best 15 strikeouts Saturday afternoon, Novak added nine more to her season total Sunday in the first game against Gustavus (0-2). She gave up three hits scattered across seven innings and picked up her first shutout of the season.
 
The first two innings were scoreless in Game 1, and the Bennies scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the third when Katie Carlson hit an RBI double to center field. Lizzy Walker added an RBI double to left in the fourth inning, and Caitlin Heinen sent in a run on a triple and Mo Burns had an RBI double in the sixth inning to wrap up scoring for the game.
 
Carlson and Swoboda both finished with two hits for CSB, which had 10 hits in the first game. Carlson – who hit two homers against UW-La Crosse Saturday – hit two doubles in the first game Sunday.
 
The second game of the day was even more impressive from both a pitching and hitting standpoint. Senior Ally Hjort threw a five-inning one-hitter, with the Gusties' lone hit coming in the top of the fifth inning. She struck out five batters and walked three.
 
The Bennies, on the other hand, racked up 15 hits and scored in all four innings. Saint Benedict went up 2-0 in the first thanks to an RBI single from Tori Harren and smart base running from Jordyn Swoboda, who scored on a wild pitch. Swoboda made it 3-0 in the second with an RBI double, and the Bennies took a 7-0 lead after three innings thanks to a three-run triple from Gabby Spencer and an RBI single from Carlson.
 
CSB was able to end the game early thanks to four more runs in the fourth. Lexi Braaten sent in run No. 8 for the Bennies on a groundout double play, Spencer added a two-run double to her daily total and Carlson hit another RBI single.
 
Spencer finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs in the second game, Carlson was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Harren finished 3-for-3 with an RBI. Swoboda and Lexi Beck also had two hits for the Bennies, who tallied three doubles and a triple.
 
CSB is back in action with two more nonconference doubleheaders – both at home – Saturday and Sunday, March 20 and 21, when UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout come to town.