ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With a standout day at the plate from sophomore Lily Treml (Shakopee, Minn.) and senior Tuscany Ballot (St. Anthony Village, Minn.), along with dominant pitching, the College of Saint Benedict softball team extended its winning streak and retained the lead in the MIAC with a sweep of St. Catherine, 4-1 and 12-4 on Senior Day at the CSB Softball Stadium.

With the pair of wins, Saint Benedict improved to 27-9 overall and 17-1 in MIAC play, maintaining its hold on first place in the conference standings with four games remaining. The sweep also marked the Bennies' eighth straight MIAC doubleheader sweep and extended the program's school-record winning streak to 16 games. CSB is set to host Hamline in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
 

Following Sunday's games, the program also honored its nine seniors: Tuscany Ballot (St. Anthony Village, Minn.), Cadence Koste (Clear Lake, Minn.), Sammy Muetzel (Woodbury, Minn.), Bryn Ruhberg (Lino Lakes, Minn.), Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.), Cat Smetana (Lake Elmo, Minn.), Olivia Tautges (Brainerd, Minn.), Olivia Van Hout (Mahtomedi, Minn.), and Olivia Wallace (Maple Grove, Minn.).

Offensively, the Bennies continued to surge, hitting .360 as a team with 18 hits in 50 at-bats. CSB added four extra-base hits, four stolen bases and drew 17 walks. Treml led the charge, going 5-for-8 on the day and driving in a career-high six runs in game two, raising her batting average to .388. Ballot added three hits in six at-bats, including two triples, while driving in four runs and lifting her average to .307.

Senior Olivia Tautges (Brainerd, Minn.) showcased elite plate discipline, drawing seven walks on the day and 11 across four games over the weekend. She now leads the MIAC with 36 walks this season. Muetzel contributed three hits, two runs and an RBI in five at-bats.

In the circle, seniors Olivia Wallace (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.) combined to not allow an earned run while each earning a win. Wallace improved to 9-2 on the season, while Peterson extended her winning streak to 10 games and moved to 13-5. As a staff, CSB posted a 1.08 ERA on the day.

Game 1 – Saint Benedict 4, St. Catherine 1
Peterson delivered another dominant outing, tossing a complete-game three-hitter to earn her 10th straight win. She allowed just one run while striking out three without issuing a walk on 84 pitches. The victory marked her 53rd career win, ranking second all-time in program history, and her 50th complete game, tying her for second all-time with Kris Gorman (1993-96). She now sits one complete game shy of Rachel Nelson's (2011-14) program record of 51.

At the plate, Ballot sparked the offense with a two-run triple in the second inning. Cat Smetana (Lake Elmo, Minn.) added three hits and an RBI, while Olivia Van Hout (Mahtomedi, Minn.) recorded a hit, scored a run and stole two bases, giving her 68 for her career — third all-time in program history. Alyssa Downhour (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) added a hit and scored twice as CSB added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to secure the win.

Game 2 – Saint Benedict 12, St. Catherine 4 (6 innings)
The Bennies completed the sweep with a 12-4 run-rule victory, powered by Treml's four-hit, six-RBI performance and a strong outing from Wallace. Ballot added two hits and two RBI, while Muetzel contributed two hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Tautges walked four times and scored twice.

Wallace allowed just one hit and struck out three over four innings, throwing 80 pitches. First-year Kaitlyn Pink (Delano, Minn.) pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, and Peterson worked the final 2/3 inning, allowing one hit.

After taking a 3-2 lead, the Bennies broke the game open by scoring three runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to secure the 12-4 victory.