ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team wrapped up its doubleheader against St. Scholastica with a sweep in dramatic fashion – nearly three weeks after it started.
After the Saints tied the score at 4-4 in the top of the seventh,
Bryn Carlstrom reached on an error and came around to score on walk-off double to right center from
Addy Bowne to give the Bennies the 5-4 win Wednesday night in St. Joseph.
The victory gives CSB another MIAC sweep for a game that started on April 3, but the second game was postponed due to cold, snowy conditions that day. The win pushes CSB's record to 23-6 overall and 12-4 in the MIAC. The Bennies are in third in the conference with doubleheaders scheduled for Friday and Sunday.
CSB took a 3-0 lead after two innings thanks to a leadoff triple from
Gabby Spencer and an RBI sac bunt from Carlstrom in the first. A pair of singles and a short pop fly put runners on second and third for the Saints (13-19, 5-13) in the top of the second, but a groundout ended the threat, and the Bennies scored two more in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs,
Megan Rasmussen singled and
Jordyn Swoboda walked. Rasmussen scored on an RBI single from
Lizzy Walker, and Swoboda came around to score on an RBI single from Spencer to make it 3-0. St. Scholastica scored two runs on three hits in the third, but a strikeout from
Elly Novak ended the inning – and left the bases loaded.
The score stayed 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth when
Megan Erickson and
Tori Harren singled, advanced on a sac bunt and then Harren came around to score on an error by the Saints to make it 4-2. St. Scholastica got two runners on in the top of the seventh, and with two outs used a pair of RBI singles to tie the score at 4-4 and force the Bennies to bat in the bottom of the inning.
The Saints recorded to pop outs to start the inning, but Carlstrom reached on an error by the shortstop, and Bowne's big hit ended the game.
Spencer finished 3-for-4 and finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Five other players recorded a single hit for CSB. Novak threw the first three innings and gave up two runs on give hits, and
Tiffany Thompson picked up her third win of the season after giving up two runs on three hits. Both pitchers struck out one batters.
CSB returns to action Friday, April 29, when it heads to St. Paul for a makeup doubleheader at St. Kate's. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Bennies are back at home Sunday, May 1, to host Saint Mary's at 1 p.m.
