LEESBURG, Fla. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team got its spring break trip off to an exciting start Monday evening with a pair of one-run wins in Leesburg, Fla.
The Bennies started the afternoon with a 2-1 win over Husson – which is receiving votes in the NFCA Division III Coach's Poll – and followed that up with a second 2-1 win, this one over a Hiram team that won 24 games last season. Both Husson and Hiram won their conference titles in 2021, and Husson advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament where it went 2-2.
Hits were hard to come by in the first game of the day – for everyone but
Gabby Spencer. She hit a leadoff triple to start the bottom of the first inning, but was left stranded. In the third inning she finished the job herself thanks to an inside-the-park home run to center field. The ball landed at the fence in deep center, and she was able to beat the throw home to put CSB up 1-0.
Husson (2-3) tied the game in the sixth thanks to a three-hit inning, but CSB (6-0) answered right back in the bottom of the inning when
Bryn Carlstrom was hit by a pitch and
Tiffany Thompson – Carlstrom's pinch runner – came around to score on a single from
Katie Carlson that went over the shortstop's head.
The Eagles got runners on first and second in the top of the seventh, but CSB turned a double play on a foul tip up to Carlson behind the plate, and pitcher
Elly Novak got the final out herself via strikeout.
Spencer had two of the team's three hits against the Eagles. Novak threw all seven innings and gave up a single run while scattering five hits over those seven innings. She struck out eight batters.
In the second game of the night, Hiram loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but a groundout ended the inning, and the Bennies took the lead in the third.
Jordyn Swoboda walked and Spencer singled, then Carlstrom reached on an error to send in a run and
Megan Erickson hit an RBI sac fly to right field to score the team's second run of the game.
Hiram loaded the bases again in the fourth but a strikeout and a groundout ended the inning, but the Terriers finally got on the board in the sixth thanks to a double to left center. Hiram got two runners on in the bottom f the seventh, but Novak got the final out to end the game and secure the win.
Spencer added two more hits to her daily total and Erickson finished 2-for-2 with an RBI to lead CSB, which had six total hits. First year pitcher
Addy Bowne picked up her third win of the season on the mound after giving up just four hits and striking out three in the first four innings. Not only did Spencer had a big day at the plate – she also took the mound. In her collegiate pitching debut, the junior gave up a single run and two hits in two innings of work. Novak picked up her second save of the season after throwing a scoreless seventh inning.
CSB is back to work Tuesday when it takes on Mount Union and Muskingum – which both won at least 29 games in the 2021 season. The Bennies play Mount Union at 11:15 a.m. CDT and Muskingum at 1:20 p.m. CDT.
