ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Sixth-inning magic. The College of Saint Benedict softball team (13-9, 3-1 MIAC) used tie-breaking home runs from
Olivia Tautges (Brainerd, Minn.) in a 6-3 game-one win, while
Izzy Radel (Owatonna, Minn.) delivered the difference with a late blast in an 8-6 game-two victory—both coming in the sixth inning.
In total, the Bennies hit four home runs in the doubleheader sweep, improving to 13-9 overall and 3-1 in the MIAC. The outburst included career-first homers by
Alyssa Downhour (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and Radel, while
Lauren Freeberg (Rogers, Minn.) hit her third home run of the season. Tautges added her 10th of the year and 29th of her career. With the performance, CSB now has 18 home runs this season to lead the MIAC.
With four more hits in seven at-bats, Tautges now boasts a .507 batting average and a 1.075 slugging percentage, with her 10 home runs leading the MIAC. Her 24 RBI give her 100 for her career, making her just the fifth player in program history to reach that mark. She now has 29 career home runs—one shy of Lexi Alm's 30 (2011–14).
Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.) improved to 6-5 with the pitching win in game one. She now has 46 career wins—tied for fourth all-time at CSB (Kris Gorman, 1993–96)—along with 44 complete games (fourth all-time) in her program-best 70th start.
Game 1 — Saint Benedict 6, Bethel 3
Tautges hit a three-run, tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning to lead CSB to a 6-3 victory over Bethel in game one. Her clutch blast over the right-field fence capped a four-run inning as the Bennies rallied from a 3-2 deficit to secure the MIAC opener.
In the circle, Peterson earned her sixth win of 2026, striking out four and walking four while allowing three runs on seven hits in her eighth complete game of the season.
Tautges went 3-for-3 with three RBI, adding a double and a single. Freeberg also homered—her third of the year—and recorded two hits.
Tuscany Ballot (St. Anthony Village, Minn.) added two hits and an RBI, while Downhour chipped in two hits for CSB.
Game 2 — Saint Benedict 8, Bethel 6
Radel hit a two-run, pinch-hit, tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning to lift the Bennies to an 8-6 victory and a doubleheader sweep of Bethel. Radel and Downhour both recorded their first career home runs in the win - which was CSB's fourth straight against Bethel..
In the circle, first-year
Kaitlyn Pink (Delano, Minn.) moved to 3-1 with the victory, working three innings and allowing one run on three hits. Senior
Olivia Wallace (Maple Grove, Minn.) started and pitched four innings, recording two strikeouts.
Downhour's first career home run—a three-run shot in the third inning—gave CSB a 6-3 lead. Bethel responded by tying the game at 6-6 in the fifth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Radel delivered her pinch-hit, two-out, two-run go-ahead homer to make it 8-6, followed by a 1-2-3 seventh inning from Pink to seal the win.
Up Next
The Bennies will travel to Moorhead, Minn., to face Concordia in a MIAC doubleheader scheduled for 1/3 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at Cobber Softball Diamond.
