Game Notes | Live Stats/Video | MIAC Softball Championship Site

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team is headed back to the MIAC Tournament for the second straight season, and this year, the Bennies are taking things one game at a time.
 
CSB – which earned the No. 3 seed – starts its playoff run Thursday, May 5, when it hosts sixth-seeded Gustavus at 4:30 p.m. at the CSB Softball Field. Tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for students. Only MIAC passes will be accepted. Live stats and video are available.
 
Last season, the Bennies also earned the third seed and hosted sixth-seeded Concordia in a play-in game and dropped a 2-0 pitchers duel to end the season. Saint Benedict knows it faces a tough task against the Gusties, who nearly came away with a split when the two teams played on April 10 in St. Joseph. The Bennies won the first game 7-4, and took a 4-0 lead after five innings in the second game. But Gustavus scored three runs in the sixth and had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, but a long catch in center field from Gabby Spencer ended the game.
 
Gustavus enters Thursday's game 15-21 overall and riding a two-game winning streak after sweeping St. Scholastica to wrap up the regular season. The Gusties also split with both Saint Mary's and Carleton, and dropped a doubleheader to St. Olaf. Madelyn Mueller sits at 49 hits heading into the conference tournament, and Piper Otto is sixth in the league with 92 strikeouts.
 
After splitting four straight doubleheaders, the Bennies wrapped up the regular season with a sweep of Saint Mary's Sunday. Tiffany Thompson picked up both wins on the mound and had a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to end Game 2 early. CSB looks to use that momentum to propel the team to a first-round win Thursday and move the team to the semifinal and championship round of play Saturday.
 
Junior Gabby Spencer remains third in the MIAC with a .485 batting average and she's also fifth with 49 hits. Bryn Carlstrom is seventh with 26 RBIs. Pitcher Elly Novak is second in the league in ERA and third with 130 strikeouts.
 
Bethel secured the MIAC regular-season title – its second in program history – and earned the right to host the semifinal and championship games Saturday, May 7, in Arden Hills. The Royals play the winner of the first quarterfinal – which features the No. 5 seed and fourth-seeded St. Kate's – at 11 a.m. Saturday, and the winner of the Gustavus/CSB game takes on No. 2 St. Olaf at 1:30 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for approximately 4 p.m. Saturday.