ST. PAUL, Minn. – Dominant pitching from Elly Novak and Ellie Peterson, who threw her second career five-inning no-hitter, along with explosive offense led the No. 17 College of Saint Benedict (18-4, 9-3 MIAC) to a sweep of a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader over Macalester (11-17, 3-9 MAIC), 5-0, 10-0, on Wednesday (April 19).

The Bennies extended its winning streak to four straight games and now sit in third place in the MIAC with a 9-3 record. CSB, which had double-digit hits in both games, tossed double shutouts for a second time in the conference season (Augsburg, 6-0, 10-0). Next for Saint Ben's is a pair of home MIAC doubleheaders this weekend. The Bennies host St. Catherine on Saturday, April 22, at 1/3 p.m. Then on Senior Day, CSB will play host to Hamline at 1/3 p.m., on Sunday, April 23.

In winning four road MIAC games on consecutive nights, CSB has outscored opponents, 33-2, with a 45-to-12 hit margin. In that span, CSB had a .402 average, .545 slugging percentage, held its two opponents to a .148 batting average, registered a 0.29 earned run average and had 22 strikeouts.

Peterson threw a five-inning no-hitter for a second time this season while Novak allowed just four hits in throwing her fifth shutout of the season. As a result, CSB lowered its team earned run average to 2.24. Novak lowered her earned run average to 1.71 and now has 80 strikeouts while Peterson, who now has three shutouts, has a 2.18 earned run average and allowed teams to hit just .192 this year.

Led by senior Hannah Sundem, CSB hit .434 as a team today with 15 runs on 23 hits and a .516 on-base percentage. Sundem, who is hitting .615 on the season in four starts, had her best performance of the year with five hits in six at bats with three runs and and RBI. She had a pair of doubles. Tori Harren had four hits in six at bats with her fourth home run and three RBI. First-year Kallie Finkbeiner, who is hitting .500 in 2023, had four hits in eight at bats with three RBI while Maddie Brey had three hits in six at bats with two RBI. The Bennies are now hitting .326 as a team with a .460 slugging percentage and .397 on-base base percentage. CSB has 13 home runs and 36 doubles.

Game 1 – Saint Benedict 5 Macalester 0
In the opener Elly Novak threw a three-hit complete game shutout and Maddie Brey had two hits and two RBI to lead the Bennies to a 5-0 win.

In picking up her ninth win of the season and 45th of her career, Novak (9-3) recorded seven strikeouts with two walks and allowed just four hits with her seventh complete game.  

Saint Benedict had an 11-hit attack that produced the five runs as they have double digit hits in two of the past three games. Harren was among the offensive leaders for CSB with two hits and an RBI. Senior center fielder Gabby Spencer reached base three times, had a run scored and a double. Brey added two hits and two RBI while Jordyn Swoboda had a run-scoring double, two runs scored and a stolen base while also making a big play defensively by throwing out a runner at home plate in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sundem also two hits including a double for CSB and Brey a hit and run scoring hit.

The Bennies opened up a 2-0 lead in the first inning with run scoring hits by Harren and Megan Erickson. In the third inning CSB added another run when Jordyn Swoboda scored on a run-scoring hit from Maddie Brey. CSB added two more in the seventh inning for a 5-0 advantage.

Game 2 – Saint Benedict 10 Macalester 0
With home runs by Jordyn Swoboda and Tori Harren and Ellie Peterson's second five-inning no-hitter this season, Saint Benedict recorded a 10-0 run-rule win and swept the doubleheader.

Petersen, a first year from St. Anthony Village, Minn., struck out four hits and walked three in throwing 72 pitches across five innings. Just like her first no-hitter on April 8 against Augsburg, CSB recorded a 10-0 win.

In the victory, CSB had double-digit hits (12) for a third straight game.

The offense was led by senior Hannah Sundem with a career-best three hits and an RBI. Harren had two hits and two RBI, including a home run. First-year shortstop Kallie Finkbeiner had two hits and three RBI while Swoboda had a hit, two RBI and two runs scored.

CSB opened with two runs in the first inning and broke the game open with six runs in the second frame before scoring a run in the third and fifth innings for the 10-0 advantage.

Early on, CSB exhibited power with home runs from Harren and Swoboda to take an 8-0 lead. Harren's first-inning home run produced a 2-0 advantage. Then, CSB scored six runs in the second inning, including a two-run shot by Swoboda, her second of the season. Sundem, Megan Erickson and Finkbeiner all had run-scoring hits in the inning.

In the third inning Sundem doubled and later scored on an error by Macalester for a 9-0 lead. Finkbeiner's season-best third RBI and second hit produced a run and a 10-0 lead in the fifth frame.