ST. PAUL, Minn. – Elly Novak was nearly perfect Sunday afternoon in two appearances in the circle for the College of Saint Benedict softball team.
 
She came one hit batter away from a perfect five-inning game in an 8-0 win over Hamline in the first game, and gave up a single hit and three walks to earn the win in four innings and help the Bennies complete the sweep with a 2-0 victory in the second game in St. Paul.
 
The two wins Sunday push Novak's season total to 11 – just five shy of the school record for wins in a season (16), set in 1993 by Stacie Klaviter and tied in 2014 by Emily Engelmeier. The complete-game shutout in Game 1 marked her fifth of the season – good for fourth in program history.
 
Novak was an inning away from a perfect game in CSB's 8-0 win over the Pipers (4-12, 1-9). In the bottom of the fifth, Novak hit the first batter she faced - but that was the only base runner she allowed all game. Novak struck out 13 of the 15 batters she faced – one of the other two batters grounded out, the other lined out to shortstop. Saturday's first-game win marked Novak's first collegiate no-hitter.
 
While Novak kept the Pipers off balance at the plate, the Bennies (17-5, 9-3) racked up 12 hits. Bryn Carlstrom had a pair of RBI singles, Megan Rasmussen had a two-run double, Jordyn Swoboda hit an RBI single up the middle and Tori Harren ended the game early with a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Gabby Spencer finished the first game 3-for-4 and Harren was 2-for-3 with a trio of RBIs.
 
Novak also got the start in the second game, and gave up a single hit before leaving the game in the fourth inning. She added four strikeouts to her weekend total to bring her season total to 118 – just 11 strikeouts shy of the school record of 129 strikeouts, set in 2007 by Monica Eiden. Novak's 15 strikeouts Sunday pushed her in to second in school history for strikeouts in a season.
 
The second game was much closer, but the Bennies found a way to win. CSB had seven hits in the second game, including an RBI double to left field from Katie Carlson in the top of the fourth that ended up scoring the only run CSB would need. Carlstrom added an RBI single in the top of the seventh for good measure to help the Bennies hold on for the win.
 
Codi Zwack and Carlson both had a pair of hits in the second game. Novak picked up the win on the mound – her 11^th of the season – and Ally Hjort earned the save after throwing three scoreless innings in relief. She struck out two batters.
 
CSB returns to action Wednesday, April 21, when it heads to Minneapolis for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader at Augsburg.