PELLA, Iowa –
Ellie Peterson had a sterling 11-inning performance in the circle and
Olivia Tautges had a career-high three hits to lift the College of Saint Benedict softball team (3-11) to a come-from-behind 6-3 extra-inning win over No. 24 Central Iowa (13-6) in game two of a doubleheader in nonconference action at Kuyper Athletic Complex.
With the victory, Saint Benedict has now recorded two wins over top-25 teams in 2024. CSB will now return home to host St. Olaf College in the home MIAC opener at CSB Softball Complex. The league doubleheader will be held at 3:30/5:30 p.m., on Wednesday, April 3. Then CSB hosts Wisconsin Stout in a nonconference doubleheader on Thursday, April 4 at 3:30/5:30 p.m.
By the Numbers – Olivia Tautges had three hits in eight at bats for a .375 batting average to lead the offense against Central.
Maddy Kubik and
Cat Smetana also had a pair of hits. In the circle, Peterson worked 11 innings and allowed one earned run and five hits in game two. Overall, CSB had a 3.71 earned run average with eight strikeouts in 17 innings. Through 14 games,
Bryn Ruhberg is leading the Bennies with a .387 average and .486 OBP. Kubik is hitting .371 and has 13 hits for second on the team.
Cat Smetana is batting .304 with a team-best eight RBI and a .457 slugging mark.
Game 1 – No. 24 Central College 8 Saint Benedict 1
Sydni Huisman earned her fifth win and Rylee Dunkin had a pair of hits to lead Central College to an 8-1 win over CSB in the opener.
Huisman (5-2) allowed six hits and one run across 4 2/3 innings while registering three strikeouts. Morgan Schaben finished for Central with 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief.
Junior
Addy Bowne (1-1) took the loss for CSB as she allowed eight hits and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. She had two strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Sophomore
Olivia Wallace finished for CSB, allowing two hits and one earned run in 1 2/3 innings. The Bennies had hits from
Bryn Ruhberg,
Bryn Carlstrom,
Cat Smetana,
Megan Erickson,
Maddy Kubik and
Tuscany Ballot.
Olivia Van Hout had a run-scored and her sixth stolen base of the season.
Central opened the scoring with singles runs in the first, third and fourth innings for a 3-0 lead. After the Bennies cut the lead to 3-1 on Van Hout's run, the Dutch scored five runs in the fifth inning to put the game away.
Game 2 – Saint Benedict 6 No. 24 Central College 3
Sophomore
Sammy Muetzel hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly and
Maddy Kubik hit a two-run single in the 11
th inning to lift the College of Saint Benedict softball team to a come-from-behind 6-3 win over No. 24 Central College in game two of a nonconference doubleheader on Saturday.
Aside from the dramatics at the plate in the 11
th inning, CSB had a season-best performance from sophomore pitcher
Ellie Peterson (1-4) in the circle.
Peterson picked up her first win of the season in a sterling performance, which included a career-high 11 innings, while allowing just one earned run and five hits. She had a season-best six strikeouts and scattered seven walks across the 11 frames. Her previous career-high in innings worked was eight against York (Pa) on March 9, 2023 and St. Olaf on April 7, 2023. The offense was led by sophomore
Olivia Tautges, who had a career-best three hits in five at bats with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore
Cat Smetana had a hit and RBI while first-year
Allison Ritter had her first career hit while scoring a run. In addition, sophomore
Kallie Finkbeiner had a hit and Kubik had the clutch two-run single in the 11
th inning.
Emma Beck (4-4) took the loss for Central as she allowed four hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings. She had two walks and seven strikeouts. Morgan Schaben also worked for the Dutch, throwing 3 2/3 innings and allowing three hits and three runs.
In game two, Central scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings for a 2-0 lead. Then, Saint Benedict rallied with a run in the sixth frame when Smetana's RBI single plated
Bryn Ruhberg as CSB trailed, 2-1. The Bennies tied the game in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly from Addy Bowe which brought home
Olivia Van Hout with the game-tying run. CSB took a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning as Tautges doubled home Ritter.
After Central tied the game in the ninth inning after a CSB error, the Bennies responded in the 11
th inning. Muetzel's sacrifice fly brought home
Megan Erickson for a 4-3 lead. Then Kubik's single to centerfield scored both
Tori Benson and Tautges. In the bottom of the inning, Peterson closed the door as CSB picked up the nonconference win.