WINONA, Minn. – Despite a three-run home run from
Sammy Muetzel, the College of Saint Benedict softball team (24-17) dropped a 5-3 decision to No. 18 Bethel (30-8) in the MIAC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday.
With the setback, the Bennies fall to 24-17 and now wait on the announcement of the NCAA DIII national field on Monday (May 13) at 10 a.m. CSB has twice been ranked in the regional rankings but fell out this week. Bethel advanced to face Saint Mary's in the MIAC Tournament Championship.
Bethel's Kayla Simacek (25-6) captured her second win of the playoffs and moved to 25-6 on the season after allowing three hits, three earned runs and recording four strikeouts.
In the circle for St. Ben's, sophomore
Ellie Peterson started and allowed three hits and three runs with a strikeout in two innings of work. Sophomore
Olivia Wallace (5-10) took the loss. She allowed five hits and two runs with two strikeouts in five innings.
CSB's offense was led by Muetzel, who hit a game-tying three-run home run in the fourth inning. It was her first career home run. CSB also had doubles from junior
Megan Erickson and sophomore
Cat Smetana.
Game Summary –
Bethel jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after a two-home run by Amanda Earney and an RBI from Cortney Hokanson. After Smetana drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth frame, Erickson doubled which set up Muetzel's game-tying three-run home run on a 1-2 count with two outs. In the top of the fifth inning, Bethel answered and retook the lead on a two-run home run from Sidney Bartels, which was the difference in the game.
By the Numbers
Through 31 games, the Bennies have a .319 team batting average, which ranks seventh for a season all-time and a .467 slugging mark for eighth for a season in school history. With a .372 OBP the Bennies have the 13th best mark all-time. CSB finished with 29 home runs, second all-time in school history and its 225 RBI is also second for a season all-time. In the circle, CSB had a 3.82 earned run average with 166 strikeouts and 20 complete games. Individually, sophomore
Olivia Tautges hit .407 with a school-record 14 home runs and 44 RBI, which is tied for third all-time with Emilie Antony in 2017. Tautges, a three-time MIAC Player of the Week, had a .839 slugging for second all-time and also had a .454 OBP, which is top 15 in school history.
Maddy Kubik hit .366 while
Cat Smetana was at .359 with 47 hits, just one behind Tautges for the team lead. Senior
Bryn Carlstrom finished with a .341 batting average while senior
Tori Benson was at .301 with six home runs as she had 21 in her career for third all-time at CSB. Peterson led the pitching staff with a 13-5 record, 11 complete games and a 3.06 earned run average.
