MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team played two very different games with Augsburg Saturday afternoon.
In the first game, junior pitcher
Elly Novak took over and nearly matched her career-high with 14 strikeouts to help lead the Bennies – who struggled offensively – to a 1-0 win. In the second game both teams were hitting the ball, but a trio of CSB errors proved costly as the Auggies came away with a 10-7 win and the two teams split in Minneapolis.
The loss marks just the third of the season for CSB, which is now 16-3 overall and 4-1 in the MIAC.
In the first game, Novak – who is now 10-0 – didn't allow a baserunner until the third inning when she hit the second batter of the inning. She made up for that by striking out the next two batters – and all three batters in the fourth inning – to keep the Auggies off the board.
CSB, however, wasn't finding success at the plate either.
Jordyn Swoboda got the team's first hit of the game in the third – a ground-rule double to center – but a lineout ended the inning.
Katie Carlson doubled to start the top of the fourth, and
Tiffany Thompson, her pinch runner, advanced to third on a fly out to center and came around to score on an RBI groundout from
Sheridan Glashan.
The Auggies got a runner on in the bottom of the fifth, but a pop out and a pair of strikeouts ended the inning, and an Augsburg single in the sixth went nowhere thanks to another strikeout for Novak and a popup to second.
Bree Griffin singled to leadoff the seventh inning, but CSB hit into a double play and a groundout ended the inning, but the team's one run was all it needed.
Novak finished with 14 strikeouts – one shy of her career-best 15, set in the first game of her sophomore season. That brings her total to 93 strikeouts so far this season. Offensively, the Bennies had just three hits, including doubles from
Bryn Carlstrom and Swoboda.
The Bennies got off to a solid start in Game 2.
Megan Erickson had an RBI single in the first,
Addy Bowne hit the second homer of her CSB career and
Megan Rasmussen hit into an RBI groundout in the fourth and Carlstrom had an RBI grounded out in the fifth to make it 4-0.
The Auggies (9-12, 1-5) tied the game in the bottom of the inning thanks to five hits and one CSB error, and took a 10-4 lead in the sixth. Augsburg tallied five more hits and took advantage of two more Bennie errors to take the six-run lead.
Gabby Spencer doubled to start the seventh and scored on a double from Carlstrom, Bowne had a sac fly to center and
Tori Harren singled to center to send in a third run and get CSB within three, but a lineout to the pitcher ended the game.
Spencer, Bowne and Carlson all had two hits for CSB, which finished with nine total hits. Both of Spencer's hits were doubles, and Carlson had a double and a triple. Bowne threw the first 4.1 innings and gave up three runs on four hits with one strikeout.
Tiffany Thompson took the loss after giving up seven runs – just two earned – on six hits.
CSB is back at home Sunday, April 10, when it hosts Gustavus starting at 1 p.m. at the OAC.
