ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Top of the order, middle of the order, bottom of the order, it didn't matter for the College of Saint Benedict softball team Sunday afternoon – anyone could hit a home run.
After tallying four homers Saturday in a sweep of UW-Eau Claire, CSB added six more home runs Sunday from five different players in a nonconference split with UW-Stout. The Bennies had two solo homers and a three-run shot in a 13-4, six-inning win in the first game, and two more solo homers and one two-run homer in the nightcap, a 6-5 loss to the Blue Devils. CSB is now 6-2 overall.
In the first game of the day, CSB scored two runs in the first on an RBI single from
Katie Carlson and an RBI groundout by Hannah Sundstrom to go up 2-0, and the Bennies scored all the runs they would need in a six-run second inning to go up 8-0.
Bryn Carlstrom started the scoring off with an RBI double,
Codi Zwack and
Gabby Spencer each had an RBI single and Carlson hit a three-run homer to wrap up the inning.
Stout added a single run in the fourth to keep the game going, and scored twice in the sixth on a two-run single and a CSB error to make things interesting at 8-4, but Spencer and Carlson hit back-to-back solo homer runs,
Tori Harren had an RBI sac fly and Carlstrom hit a two-run double to end the game early.
The Bennies finished the first game with 15 hits to Stout's five, including three doubles from Carlstrom and two homers from Carlson. Carlstrom went 3-for-4 with three RBI, Carlson went 4-for-4 with five RBI and Spencer finished the first game 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Elly Novak threw all six innings and gave up four runs – two earned – on five hits with six strikeouts and just one walk.
In the second game it was the Blue Devils (3-5) who got on the board early, and then held on for the win. Stout scored three times in the first inning on a two-run triple and an RBI double, but the Bennies got one back in the bottom of the inning when on another RBI groundout from Sundem.
Stout added another run in the second to make it 4-1, and that's where the score stayed until the fourth when Harren hit the first home run of her collegiate career to make it a two-run game. The Blue Devils had an RBI double in the fifth and another run scored on a CSB error in the sixth to make it 6-2, but
Lexi Hanson hit a solo home run in the sixth and
Megan Rasmussen hit her first collegiate homer – a two-run shot to center field – to make it a one-run game.
The Blue Devils got a runner on in the seventh but hit into a double play, and Carlson started the bottom of the inning with a single.
Lexi Braaten came in as a pinch runner Carlson and advanced to third on a double from
Jordyn Swoboda, but a pop out, a foul out and a strike out ended the game in Stout's favor.
CSB finished with 10 hits and the Blue Devils nine in the second game. Spencer finished 2-for-3 and Swoboda and Hanson were both 2-for-4.
Lauren York threw the first two innings and took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Novak came in and threw the final five innings and gave up two runs – just one earned – on four hits with six more strikeouts to bring her weekend strikeout total to 12.
CSB is scheduled to be back in action Wednesday, March 24, when it hosts UW-Stevens Point starting at 12:30 p.m. at the OAC. Stay tuned to
www.gobennies.com for schedule updates.
