DULUTH, Minn. – With strong outings in the circle matched with a strong performance at the plate, the No. 17 College of Saint Benedict (21-5, 12-4 MIAC) extended its winning streak to three games after a sweep of a MIAC doubleheader against St. Scholastica (12-14, 2-8 MIAC), 4-3 and 9-1, on Tuesday (April 25).

CSB, which continued its solid play on the road with a 7-1 record, sits in second place in the MIAC with a 12-4 record and have a 21-5 overall mark. The Bennies have four more road games this week with a doubleheader on Friday at Concordia-Moorhead with games at 3:30/5:30 p.m. Then, CSB goes to Winona, Minn., to face Saint Mary's for a doubleheader at 1/3 p.m., on Sunday, April 30.

In the opener, Jordyn Swoboda hit the go-ahead home run with two outs in the fifth inning and senior Elly Novak (10-4) won her 10^th game with her ninth complete game in the 4-3 decision. In game two, CSB won 9-1 in a run-rule shortened game as the reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Week Ellie Peterson was dominant in the circle with her 11^th win and ninth complete game while the Bennies broke open a 2-1 game with four runs in the fourth inning.

On the day, CSB was led offensively by Gabby Spencer with three hits in five at bats, a stolen base, RBI and two runs scored. Bryn Carlstrom also had three hits and two runs scored while Swoboda supplied two hits, two RBI and her 20^th career home run in the opener. She ranks second all-time at CSB in home runs.
In the circle Peterson and Novak had a combined 2.15 earned run average with two complete games, 13 strikeouts and held St. Scholastica to a .200 batting average.

Game 1 – Saint Benedict 4 St. Scholastica 3
With Swoboda's go-ahead home run in the fifth inning and a complete game from Novak, the Bennies took the opener, 4-3.

Novak (10-4) earned her 10^th win with a ninth complete game as she allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in throwing 112 pitches.

Swoboda had the home run plus two runs scored as CSB had six hits. Tori Harren had a hit and RBI while Megan Rasmussen added a hit and RBI. Spencer had a hit and a stolen base – her 13^th of the season.

Rasmussen's RBI double in the second inning brought home Carlstrom as CSB took a 1-0 lead. With an RBI triple by Harren and an RBI single from Erickson, CSB took a 3-1 advantage in the third frame. After St. Scholastica scored runs in the third and fourth innings, Swoboda had her game-deciding solo blast to left field for a 4-3 lead. Then, Novak allowed just one hit the rest of the way and retired the side in order in the fifth and seventh innings to secure the victory.

Game 2 – Saint Benedict 9 St. Scholastica 1 (run rule – six innings)
Ellie Peterson threw a complete game with six strikeouts and while Spencer and Carlstrom each had two hits as Saint Benedict picked up a 9-1 win in game two and a sweep of the doubleheader.

Peterson, who threw 55 strikes among her 74 pitches, allowed just two hits and a run while striking out seven in moving to 11-1 on the season.

On offense, Spencer was 2-of-3 with two runs and an RBI while Carlstrom was 2-of-4 with a run scored. Hannah Sundem had a hit, RBI and run scored among CSB's nine hits. Kallie Finkbeiner and Swoboda both had hits while Maddie Brey had a hit and two runs scored.

CSB opened the scoring when Harren stole second and Finkbeiner scored on a throwing error by St. Scholastica, which committed four in the game. The Bennies built a 2-0 lead on an RBI single from Swoboda in the third frame.

In the fourth inning, CSB broke the game open with four runs. Sundem's run-scoring single brought home Brey. After Carlstrom scored on a throwing error, Spencer doubled to center which brought home Sundem. Then, Finkbeiner's run-scoring hit scored Spencer as the Bennies took a 6-1 lead. An error in the fifth inning allowed Brey and Tiffany Thompson, who had a pinch hit double, to score for an 8-1 lead. In the sixth inning, Lexi Hanson's sacrifice fly plated Olivia Tautges.

By the Numbers – With her win in game one, Novak won her 46^th career game which ranks tied for third all-time at CSB with Kris Gorman (46-22, 1993-96). She also has reached double digit wins in three straight years (17, 2021; 16, 2022; 10, 2023). With three more hits, Spencer has 140 for her career which moves her into 10^th all-time at CSB. And she is hitting .513 for the season, which would rank as the top mark in school history. She also had a 1.419 OPS and a .630 on-base percentage. First-year shortstop Kallie Finkbeiner is hitting .431 while Tori Harren is batting .368 with five home runs and 20 RBI. Swoboda, who is hitting .333, has four home runs and a team-high 23 RBI.

CSB is hitting .331 as a team with a .401 OBP, .483 slugging mark and has 236 hits, including 17 home runs. The Bennies have 41 steals in 52 attempts and is fielding .984, which ranks second in DIII. In the circle, CSB has a 2.36 earned average, 1.03 WHIP, and opponent team batting average of just .212. They have 166 strikeouts against 42 walks in 169 innings. Peterson has an 11-1 record and 1.97 earned run average with 66 strikeouts. Novak has a 10-4 record with a 2.26 earned run average and 94 strikeouts.