ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Dominating pitching from Ellie Peterson, including a five-inning no hitter, and Elly Novak plus the hitting of Gabby Spencer and Kallie Finkbeiner led the No. 14 College of Saint Benedict softball team (13-1, 4-0 MIAC) to a doubleheader sweep of Augsburg (15-9, (1-5 MIAC), 6-0, and 10-0, on Saturday, April 8 at the CSB Softball Field.

With the sweep, CSB was 4-0 this weekend as the Bennies opened MIAC play at home. CSB, which remains at the top of the MIAC standings, extended its winning streak to 11 games, which is the best run since April 17-April 28, 2021, when Saint Ben's also won 11 straight during a 26-7 season. CSB, which will travel to Gustavus on Tuesday, April 11 in St. Peter, Minn., is off to its best start since also starting 13-1 in 1992. However, CSB has done 12-1 or better in each of the past two seasons with Head Coach Rachael Click.

Aside from throwing two shutouts, how dominating was the CSB pitching staff on Saturday and this weekend? Novak (14) and Peterson (7) combined for 21 strikeouts and walked just two batters today. In four games, they combined for 31 strikeouts and allowed 16 total hits. Over the weekend CSB had a 1.30 earned run average as both Novak (1.50) and Peterson (1.08) each won two games, and both had a pair of complete games.

In the 10-0 win in game two, Peterson tossed her first five-inning no-hitter of her career. It was the first- five-inning no hitter by a CSB pitcher since Novak also did it against Augsburg on April 21, 2021, in a 15-0 win. In addition, CSB had shutouts in both games of a doubleheader against a MIAC team for the first time since April 28, 2021 (St. Mary's, 3-0, 1-0). With the two shutouts, CSB now has seven shutouts this season.

During this weekend, CSB was 4-0 with a 26-to-5 run differential as the Bennies hit .333 and limited opponents to .162. Offensively Gabby Spencer proved her All-American status by hitting .833 with 10 hits in 12 at bats and scored eight runs. She also had two home runs and a team-high nine RBI with a 1.583 slugging and .867 OBP. And she was 7-of-7 in steals. The senior centerfielder pushed her season average to .538 after going 19-of-30 for a .633 average during the past 10 games.

Today, CSB also had solid production on offense from fifth-year Jordyn Swoboda, who hit .357 with four RBI. First-year standout Finkbeiner hit .571 with four hits in seven at bats and added two RBI.

Game 1 - Saint Benedict 6 Augsburg 0
In the opener, senior pitcher Elly Novak (7-1) had a season-high 14 strikeouts while allowing just two hits while walking just one batter in throwing her fifth complete game of the season in the 6-0 victory. In her sixth straight win, she had double digit strikeouts for the third time in five games. CSB had two hits and two RBI from both Jordyn Swoboda and Kallie Finkbeiner.

CSB scored a pair of runs in the first, third and fourth innings. In the first frame, Spencer walked and later scored on an RBI single from Swoboda. Then, Swoboda came home on a wild pitch. In the third inning, Finkbeiner's two-run double to center field brought home Tori Harren who had walked. Finkbeiner scored on Bryn Carlstrom's RBI single to center field.  In the fourth frame, Spencer singled, stole second and scored on Swoboda's second hit and RBI. Swoboda later scored on a run-scoring hit from Finkbeiner.

Game 2 – Saint Benedict 10 Augsburg 10
In game two, first-year Ellie Peterson had her best performance in the circle for Saint Ben's as she tossed a career-first five-inning no-hitter. Peterson had seven strikeouts and one walk in facing 18 batters.

The offense was again led by Spencer who had three hits and four RBI while both Kallie Finkbeiner and first-year Hannah Sundem added a pair of hits.

After a scoreless first inning, CSB broke through in the second inning after Finkbeiner singled and Olivia Van Hout entered as a pinch runner. She promptly stole second and scored on Lexi Hanson's run-scoring single. After hits by Bryn Ruhberg and Sundem loaded the bases, Spencer's two-run double to left field plated two runners for a 3-0 lead. On a double by Bryn Carlstrom, Spencer and Tiffany Thompson scored for a 5-0 advantage.

CSB added five more runs in the third inning as Finkbeiner opened the inning with a single and scored on Hanson's triple to right field. Hanson scored on a fielding error in which Bryn Ruhberg reached base. Sundem had her first career two-hit game with a single and both she and Ruhberg came home on two-run triple by Spencer for a 9-0 lead. Spencer scored on Swoboda's RBI single for the 10-0 advantage.